7 Tips for Saving Money on Office Furniture

Businesses have a lot of expenses, and office furniture is no exception. Naturally, you want furniture that is sophisticated and attractive looking. This adds to the culture of your workplace, which is nice for bringing up the morale. But it’s equally important to have furniture that is comfortable and won’t be sending your employees to the doctor each week for back pain. Too bad office furniture that is comfortable and nice looking has to cost so much.

Luckily, there are ways to save money on office furniture. The trick is taking the time to plan out your office, knowing exactly what you need and being patient when shopping around.

Here are seven tips for furnishing your office on a budget.

1. Create a Plan

Draw a rough sketch of your office and identify what types of furniture you need. Without some type of plan, it’s easy to get carried away and buy things you don’t need just because they’re on sale. Ask for employees’ inputs as well. You may find that those rinky dinky file cabinets are more of a headache than they look.

2. Shop Around

Many places sell office furniture these days, and your first stop may be a big-box store like Walmart or Kmart. While there’s nothing wrong with checking out office furniture from these stores, do realize that they aren’t your only options. Some furniture suppliers offer gently used furniture that is half the cost. This way, you can have great quality furniture for less.

3. Focus on Comfort and Practicality

Office furniture can look super stylish, but be sure to focus on comfort and practicality too. How much leg room is underneath the desk? Do the swivel chairs offer various heights? You want your furnishings to be comfortable for a wide range of people, so consider all of your current employees’ needs as well as future hires.

4. Look for Used Furniture

Refurbished furniture is just as good as the new stuff, and it comes at a much lower cost. Look for suppliers that have a nice selection of used office furniture and carry high-end brands. Extra Office Interiors has a large assortment of used furniture such as our Essentially New workstations that come at a fraction of the cost. Everything is manufactured through us as well – no outsourcing or third parties.

5. Consider Furnished Office Packages

Another way to save money, particularly if you have to buy a lot of furniture, is to purchase a furnished office package. For instance, Extra Office Interiors has the Completely Furnished Office package that will furnish your office for $20/square foot, which has savings of up to 38%. Not only is this solution flexible and cost-effective, but also you may be able to write off the entire cost in the first year.

6. Request Additional Discounts

Anytime you make a large purchase, it doesn’t hurt to ask for some type of discount. While you’re probably not going to get that from a store like Walmart, an independent office supplier will be happy to work with your budget. Tell the supplier what you would like to spend so that they can find products within this price range. Sometimes, products go on sale but this may not be visible on your end.

7. Get a Quote

When shopping around, you can put items in your shopping cart and see what your total will be. Unfortunately, ordering online can come with steep shipping costs if you’re not careful. Be sure that you factor this in, along with any other costs. For instance, what happens when the chair that is shipped is broke or the file cabinet dented? Who will pay for return shipping?

The best way to get an honest idea of what your office furniture will cost is to get a quote from a supplier. All expenses will be accounted for, and you can figure out exactly what you will be getting for the money and how potential issues will be handled.

Hopefully these suggestions have given you an idea of how to save money on office furniture without sacrificing quality or comfort. You don’t want to skimp on furniture for your employees since it makes a difference in the appearance of the office, the productivity of your staff and the morale of the company. Fortunately, there are many easy ways to cut back on cost while still furnishing your office with the best.