Buying office furniture can be more of a process than people realize, but the first question that usually comes to everyone’s mind is whether to look for new or used. If this wasn’t one of your first thoughts, then you probably wouldn’t be reading this blog post, but even if it was, that doesn’t mean you don’t still have your hesitations about actually going pre-owned.
The negative connotations that have come with the word “used” have led many people to be reluctant to explore that option when it comes to purchasing office furniture for their business or home. Many of those doubts come from expectations that the product they are going to receive is in poor condition or they’ll have to deal with missed deadlines and unreliable service. It’s not safe to say these places don’t actually exist, but it is possible to find high-quality used office furniture from a trusted dealer. Certainly, buying new product has it’s benefits, but in turn, has significant downsides as well. We want to help you answer some of your big questions about used vs. new office furniture.
How do I find quality office furniture without spending too much?
One of the biggest factors to consider when making any big purchase is the money. of course. Maybe you have a certain budget you’re looking to maintain or you’re torn between getting the furniture you want without breaking the bank. Especially if you’re furnishing an entire office for a number of employees, being cost efficient can be extremely important to you. There are various new office furniture suppliers that can give you a brand new product for a decent price, but that most likely means you aren’t buying from the top brands with the highest quality or features. One of the most popular benefits of going with pre-owned furniture is the major cost savings. At the right pre-owned office furniture dealers, you can shop for high-end, ergonomic furniture from names like Herman Miller, Knoll, Steelcase, Haworth and many more, but instead of paying those types of prices, you can save over 50% compared to new.
Will buying pre-owned mean I have to sacrifice the look and style that I want?
When shopping for a new product, you have the options to make the selections of color, style, etc. of the products you’re interested in. For this reason, people shy away from looking at pre-owned options because they assume they must choose a product the way it already is made. But the benefits of used office furniture involve the possibility of refurbishing your product with brand new fabrics and finishes that match your office’s style. These modifications are incorporated with thorough inspection and cleaning to ensure that the office furniture you’re getting looks the way you want and is of top-notch quality. Often products like cubicles and chairs are blended with new AND used components that allow for the customization that customers want even if the exact product isn’t in the dealer’s inventory. The same thing goes for furnishing entire office buildings with a mix of products to enable the client to match their used furniture choices with various pieces that have been ordered new. This option is called blending and is a very cost-efficient solution.
Do pre-owned furniture dealers do everything the big new dealers can?
EthoSource sure does! Just because you aren’t buying pre-owned, doesn’t mean you have to look elsewhere to find the office furniture management services your furniture needs. You can have a personal team including a sales representative, project manager, and professional designer working together with you on your project. This team will handle everything from helping you pick the colors of your carpet and cubicle tiles to handling all the scheduling and installation of your furniture. These professionals will think and plan ahead for every step of the process, so you don’t have to. These services are the same that you’d receive through a new furniture dealer with the same professionalism and experience, but overall a much more manageable price.
Are there any other benefits to choosing pre-owned over new?
In addition to the tremendous cost savings to you over purchasing new product, there are other benefits as well. Investing in pre-owned furniture is an eco-friendly solution for your company or for you personally. Although you still have the option to refurbish your furniture with new fabrics and finishes, pre-owned office furniture maximizes resource use through utilizing various parts of the existing furniture such as the steel framing, which cannot be dented or scratched, and therefore eliminating the use of raw materials. In addition, pre-owned furniture requires a fraction of the energy and labor than the production of new product does. For these reasons, your company can pursue green initiatives that will earn LEED points toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification. If you’re just shopping for a personal office space, you can take satisfaction in knowing you’re taking advantage of all the recycling benefits by helping the environment and saving your own “green” at the same time.
Although EthoSource has both used and new options for you to blend or explore individually, we have made our livelihood on the goal of redefining people’s expectations of buying pre-owned. We want our customers to have full confidence in the quality of our products, and through the various testimonials and repeat customers we have received in the past, we know we are helping them feel just that. Take a look at our extensive inventory online or visit us at our Reading, PA or King of Prussia, PA locations. The possibilities and benefits of pre-owned office furniture are endless, and we hope you explore how it can be the perfect solution for your next project.