Tips for Buying Second-Hand Office Furniture

A silent environmental catastrophe is occurring in Australia. 55,000+ tonnes of usable or near-new office furniture is going to landfills annually. This is an unsustainable practice that comes down to Australian corporate culture.

It is often cheaper for a company or small business to refit a new office space than to move furniture or sell it, resulting in companies and building management dumping the old furniture regardless of its condition.

We encourage all business owners to be more mindful and ethical when purchasing office furniture. However, suppose you are considering investigating second-hand office furniture via either the DIY route or through a company like ours that specialises in acquiring and reselling quality used office furniture. In that case, it is worth arming yourself with some good advice.

Below are some top tips for buying second-hand office furniture to ensure you maintain quality while making more ethical office furnishing choices. Read on to learn more.

Go with your gut

While we fully encourage all interior designers and business owners to make more ethical office furniture choices, you should be able to maintain the comfort of yourself, your staff, potential clients, and customers.

You know deep down when you've found the right style and function for your business, so go with your gut and make sure you are happy with your purchase.

Try before you buy

When picking out second-hand office furniture, function is just as important as aesthetics. You must ensure that office chairs and desks are ergonomic for your staff. It is also essential that your stylish front-of-house furniture is as comfy as it looks.

Try your office furniture out. Sit, stand, adjust, and play; it's the only way you can be sure your purchase is worth the investment. If the furniture supplier is unwilling to let you try before you buy, that should raise some red flags regarding the legitimacy of their operation.

Check for hygiene

Office furniture gets a lot of use, sometimes in buildings that do not have less-than-ideal hygiene standards.

Inspect furniture with excess dirt or residues, dig around cushioned furniture, look around couches and sitting chairs, or any office furniture with hidden nooks and crannies to ensure they are free from harmful chemicals, infestations, or any other contaminants.

Consider reupholstering

Sometimes second-hand furniture may look great but be poorer in function and comfort than high-end office furniture products. If you find a top-of-the-range piece of furniture, like an office chair or ergonomic office desk, it may be worth reupholstering it or repainting if all the functions are still in good working order.

You may find yourself sitting in a chair fit for a big-time CEO rather than a small business owner for a fraction of the cost of the original RRP, even after paying for professional reupholstery.

Check the inner support of couches

Your front-of-house or waiting rooms are where you make your strongest impressions on paying clients and customers, so investing in stylish, comfortable furniture for your business front is vital.

However, while second-hand couches and sitting chairs can look fantastic outside, they can hide significant problems within.

Check under the couch, look inside zipped linings, and sit on the seats in various angles and ways. That way, if there is excess wear in the padding, broken struts or uncomfortable faults, you can either walk away or haggle harder on the price.

Metal furniture for the win

Used metal office furniture can often be found cheap and in abundance on online and social media marketplaces. This can include metal office furniture staples like:

• Metal stools
• Filing cabinets
• Lockable cases
• Staff lockers
• Waiting room chairs
• and more

Second-hand metal office furniture is perfect for DIY projects, as it usually requires very little effort to restore or renovate.

Spot rust on metal stools or chrome legs and supports can usually be removed with mild steel wool and vinegar; just remember to clean and coat the metal after you're done. Tarnished or weathered metal can be sanded, undercoated and painted very easily, especially with spray guns or spray cans.

If you're going for a rustic interior design, you may even find metal office furniture that looks best with a little rust or wear and tear. First, however, ensure the furniture is not so rusted or dirty that it comes off on staff uniforms or customers' clothes.

Check for recalls on second-hand kid's furniture

If you have a child-related business or organisation or a play area in your waiting room, always check online to see if the second-hand furniture has had any recalls.

Even when companies make large-scale recalls on children's furniture, many of the goods can still be in circulation for decades after the manufacturer has taken action.

Hard refuge is a treasure trove

If you want to be a real warrior against the scourge of second-hand office furniture waste, then don't be afraid to make someone else's trash your treasure.

Hard refuge day can be a treasure trove for second-hand office furniture. However, companies like ours can achieve so much in tackling Australia's office furniture waste problem. Whether for your corporate or home office, repurposing quality office furniture left on roadsides gets us closer to a sustainable office furniture culture. So, walk down the road with used office furniture in your hands.

The gavel drops in your favour

Make your second-hand office furniture adventure more exhilarating by attending public auctions. Australia has a massively underutilised auction industry, and you can pick up some top-of-the-range office furniture for a steal.

It's important to be on top of your budget and not get carried away. However, if you know your office fit-out budget, you can have a lot of fun picking up some absolute bargains—nothing is more thrilling than having the gavel drop on your winning bid.

Sustainable Office Solutions: The best second-hand office furniture Melbourne-wide

We are passionate about playing our part in reducing Australia's used office furniture waste problem. If you are considering second-hand office furniture in Melbourne, call us today on 03 9312 6341, or send your inquiry via our online contact form.

To speak to a representative in person, head over to our showroom located at 52 N View Dr, Sunshine West.