The Basics of Purchasing Used Office Furniture

With the economy today, most individuals and businesses are looking for any opportunity they can find to save a few dollars. One easy way to save money is by purchasing used office furniture.

Office furniture can encompass a variety of things. Most people think of desks and chairs as office furniture. There are many other pieces that make up the office decor such as lamps, filing cabinets, artwork, and area rugs. All of these items can be purchased used, sometimes at significant savings over new items.

There are many outlets to buy used office furniture. There are retail outlets that specialize in reselling all types of furniture that also offer office furniture. A good bit of this furniture may come out of hotels and motels if they have remodelled. These units typically have seen little use and are often in almost new condition. While there may not be any specific used office furniture stores, you will likely be able to find whatever you need at these retail outlets. If not, you could always treat Ebay as your own little personal used office furniture store. You can find anything on Ebay.

Another option for finding used office furniture would be public auctions. These auctions may be conducted on behalf of individuals, businesses, or may even be ordered by the court system in the case of bankruptcies and estates of deceased individuals. This source can sometimes be hit and miss and can require a large investment of time to find what you need.

There are also charities that have used office furniture for sale. These items typically have been donated by someone who doesn't need them anymore and the charity will resell them at low prices to raise money for their cause. As with an auction, this source can have a wide variety but some pieces may be in poor condition.

The other typical source for used home office furniture would be yard or rummage sales. These sales would normally be for an individual looking for used office furniture. It is extremely time consuming and yard sales are normally held on weekends so it is not a good source for a business looking for furniture.

Regardless of the source, one must be careful when purchasing used office furniture. Always be sure to look everything over diligently, especially with pieces that require mechanical movement such as filing cabinets. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a drawer that won't quite close right or a locking filing cabinet that you can't find the key to.

It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the current new prices of the items you are looking for. There is little reason to purchase a 10 year old desk with several scratches and wobbly leg for $150 when you can purchase an identical new desk that is flawless for $10 more.

Once you have decided to furnish your business or home office with used furniture, be prepared to spend more time accumulating this furniture than it would take to purchase new furniture. Especially in a business it is important to have a somewhat unified decor to project a professional image to your clients. This may take you some time when going to several different sources and purchasing items that may be from several different manufacturers and styles.

If you are diligent and somewhat lucky you will be able to assemble a setting of office furniture through the mentioned sources that may be indistinguishable from new furniture and at a significant savings. If so, maybe you can afford that expensive gold name plate to set on the desk.

If you found this article to be helpful or interesting, be sure to check out my laminator, binding machines, and A3 printer articles.