Office furniture isn’t cheap. Ask anybody who’s ever furnished an office before and they will be able to tell you as much. However, thanks to modern technology and advice from sensible shoppers, there are effective ways of saving money on otherwise costly office furniture.
If you run an office and want to save yourself some money, this post has you covered. In it, you will find out everything you need to know about saving money on office furniture so that you can furnish your office without costing yourself a fortune.
1. Buying Used Furniture
The most effective way of saving money on office furniture is to buy it used. Used furniture is widely available and can help you to save yourself a lot of money. Bear in mind that used furniture can still be expensive depending on how much it was used and how heavily worn it is. If you are searching for second-hand office furniture then there are platforms and websites exclusively for this.
Make sure that when you are buying used furniture, you prioritize buying furniture that is in good condition. Obviously, members of staff are going to be using the furniture you buy so if it is not in good condition, they could hurt themselves on it or it could reflect poorly upon you as an employer since employees will feel as though you are taking shortcuts and trying to save money and at the same time jeopardizing their safety.
2. Factory Faults
Sometimes, it is possible to buy furniture that has factory faults, meaning there are defects making furniture unsellable from the manufacturing plant. As long as the furniture you are buying that has factory faults is usable and does not pose a threat to employees, you can go ahead and buy it.
The only time that you should not buy furniture is if the flaws compromise its stability. If the furniture is not stable then it’s not safe. If a chair collapses when an employee is sitting on it, for example, you could get into a lot of trouble and they could sue you in court. Most likely, the court will find in favor of the employee, as it is your responsibility as an employer to make sure that employees are given the care and consideration that they deserve, and they are supposed to be given access to safe equipment.
3. Closing Down Sales
One of the most effective ways of saving money on office furniture is to find office supply businesses that are closing down. Right now, is a very bad time for furniture sellers in general. There is a recession taking place and inflation is higher than ever. If you shop intelligently, you should be able to find stores closing down. Closing down sales are fantastic because they give you the opportunity to buy furniture from a business that is literally trying to give everything away.
By shopping in such sales, you can negotiate prices even further. Remember though, typically business owners purging their stock in closing down sales are desperate, so do not try to take advantage of them. Haggle for a fair price or outright buy furniture if the price they are offering is reasonable. You may be able to get a better deal by bulk-purchasing furniture.
4. Dealing with Wholesalers
Wholesalers typically offer very good prices on furniture, as long as you buy large amounts of it. If you are furnishing an office then it is very likely that you are going to need lots of furniture, so working with a wholesaler could be a very good idea. Wholesalers are widely available and offer many different types of furniture, so when you are looking for one, make sure that you find a wholesaler who offers a range of different furniture items.
By doing this, you will be able to save yourself time. This is because you will be able to find a wholesaler who is selling everything you need. When you buy everything from one business, you are more likely to get better deals than if you bought all of your furniture from different stores. When dealing with wholesalers, remember they sometimes give massive discounts if you buy very large amounts of furniture.
5. Saving from Scrapyards
Did you know that it is possible to furnish offices for free? You can do this by finding office buildings that are closing down and offering to take their interiors off of the demolition companies’ hands for free. Sometimes you may have to pay a little bit of money to release furniture from such buildings, but it’s not usually much. Saving furniture from scrapyards is a very environmentally friendly way of sourcing furniture for your office.
One downside to this style of furnishing an office though is that it can be very difficult to find offices that are closing down. The only way you can actually do this is by driving around retail and industrial estates and looking for offices that are in bad condition or that are being demolished. You can also find out about closing offices by reaching out to demolition companies in your area and asking them if they are currently demolishing any office buildings.
6. Buying During Sale Season
If none of the previous strategies for securing low-price office furniture appeal to you and you want all of your office’s furniture to be brand new and unused, then you may want to consider buying furniture during the sale season. There are several sale seasons per year, but generally when this term is used people are referring to winter sales.
If you are going to shop during the sale season, you’ll be able to save yourself even more money by using welcome discount codes. Welcome codes in addition to existing price reductions can be an extremely effective way of saving oneself money. You may be able to save even more money by reaching out to your chosen retailer and negotiating further discounts by promising bulk purchases.
Saving money on office furniture doesn’t have to be a chore. If you use the guidance outlined in this post, then it’s something you can do with ease. Make sure that you follow this post’s guidance to the letter if discounts and savings are what you are after.
