Used Vs. New Office Furniture: The Pros and Cons

There’s no debate about it, when it comes to purchasing things we need, everybody would go for what is brand new and there are good reasons for that. Brand new products are better, not damaged and you can always return it back if they happen to not work exactly as they were designed. However, they cost a lot and sometimes people just have to make do with second hand items. This is very common in the furniture world.

We are going to compare used and new office furniture, look at the reasons that lead people to get either of them as well as the benefits and limitations of choosing ol furniture over new and vice versa. If you are thinking of furnishing your office but are unsure on what to go with, stick around and learn a few tips along the way.

New Office Furniture

Any person starting their business for the first time is always consumed by the need to make an impression. This makes them go all out, at the expense of the budget, to go for brand new furniture pieces. This comes with its own mix of pros and cons as outlined below.

Pros

• Better Aesthetics: New office furniture looks better from all angles. Having never been used comes with a lot of benefits since everything is fresh and clean. From the paintwork, the upholstery, the framework and any other additions that make furniture functional. Having new furniture in the office elevates the profile of the office in a major way and this is exactly what you need when starting out; a strong image to win the confidence of your potential customers.

• Warranties: Buying new office furniture comes with warranties and other after sales services as you are buying it directly from the manufacturer. This gives you privileges  like the ability to return the furniture if it doesn’t fit your needs within a certain period. The furniture can also be replaced if it breaks way too soon due to mistakes that have nothing to do with you. In a nutshell, new furniture comes with follow ups and this protects your investment.

• Better Quality: New furniture is better quality and will last you much longer as it is completely unused. Every single part has been constructed with care using the best materials money can buy and all these add up towards determining what the final price will be. Quality furniture means that you and the people working under you use comfortable, durable and reliable pieces of furniture that don’t cause body aches.

• Flexible Payment Plans: You can get flexible payment plans when you buy brand new furniture by striking a deal with the manufacturer. What makes this worth it is the fact that you will be getting high quality pieces of furniture that will help you achieve what you want even as you continue making the payments. At times you may even get great discounts and offers that knock the price down.

• High Resale Value: Brand new furniture has high resale value. At some point you may feel the need to refinish the space with bigger and better furniture and you could kill two birds with a single stone by selling off what you were using, something that can only be possible if you were the first buyer. Depending on how well you have maintained them, you can fetch prices near what you bought them for and that’s an underrated achievement.

Cons

• Expensive: Furniture is not cheap and the more you need, the more you will have to spend. Depending on the quality of materials used, the cost could run into thousands of dollars and this is one of the reasons why people baulk away from going with brand new furniture and choose to go with used ones. The benefits are many in the long run, but the initial cost can be too much for new businesses.

• Longer Shipping: The time it takes to place an order to the furniture arriving at your door is very long. Most furniture makers don’t simply make furniture hoping someone will walk in and buy it, they depend on orders and this can take weeks and by the time it arrives, you may have lost valuable business. This means you have to make the order much earlier.

• Requires Professional Help: Setting up your office with brand new furniture will require the help of professionals in order to make use of the space available to the best of your abilities. This is extra labour and it rarely comes free. You eventually have to pay something from your pocket to get this done.

• It Arrives Disassembled: Most times, brand new furniture comes in their separate pieces and this is necessary to make their shipping much easier and faster. But this means you will have to handle the entire process of assembling everything from scratch. You can use a manual that comes along with the pieces but this can be a lot of work for those involved.

Used Office Furniture

Used furniture is what you go for when getting new furniture is beyond your budget, after all, setting up an office is not a cheap undertaking.  If you are stuck at this point and unsure on whether to go with used furniture or not, the following are the pros and cons that should help you make that decision.

Pros

• Affordable: Used furniture means it has been owned and used by another owner before you and this fact alone knocks the price down significantly. This allows you to save money and get functional pieces of furniture in return. On average, used furniture goes for less than half the initial price and you can even knock it down a little further if you know how to bargain.

• Always Ready: Used furniture doesn’t need weeks of construction or a prior order to be placed. It is ready for shipping at any time and this saves time. If you are running against the clock as far as opening an office is concerned, then you have to go for used furniture to speed things up a little. You can get your furniture shipped to you within hours from the moment you place the order.

• It is a Form of Recycling: By buying used furniture you are stopping them from ending up in a landfill. By repurposing used furniture for your establishment, you will continue using that piece of furniture for a little longer before it finally breaks down beyond use. On top of getting a better deal, you are keeping the environment cleaner.

• Antique Look: Sometimes you may be lucky enough to land used furniture with a very cool vintage design and this can transform your office from normal looking one into a classy and unique working space. This kind of vibe is what makes your customers feel good being around the office.

Cons

• Are Worn Out: Anything that has been used will always come with some form of damage or an appearance of being worn out. Functional as they may be, when you use a worn out piece of furniture for a space as serious as the office will give your establishment a bad look.

• Unpredictable: You never know what you may get when it comes to used furniture. The seller will try everything to complete the sale and this includes hiding important information about damaged parts or other issues. Finding out that the furniture you just bought is missing a leg or the upholstery has bugs is the last thing you want to deal with once you have already paid.

• No Warranties: Most times, used furniture is bought from individuals rather than manufacturers and there’s little that people can do to address your concerns once you have parted with your money. All they care about is getting the furniture off their hands and ocne that is done, you will not have access to them again and you will be forced to live with any fault that comes with the furniture.

Final Verdict

The choice to go with new or used office furniture is influenced by a lot of factors and each of them should be taken seriously if you hope to find furniture that fits your needs. If you do choose to go with brand new furniture then do due diligence and get the best value for your money and that will come in the form of Flexispot. 

We are the best office furniture makers around and we have all types of products from sit-stand desks like the Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series, or standing desk converters like the EdgeRiser Standing Desk Converter or ergonomic chairs like the Soutien Ergonomic Office Chair to that you can get without breaking your bank. 

Feel free to check out our website and browse through our long list of office products that will  make your office more homey and refined.

How To Make Your Home Look Better Than Your Neighbors’

Whether you live in a neighborhood where all the houses look the same or one where people are constantly making huge upgrades to prove they have the best home on the block, you can stand out by making just a few tweaks. Of course, you want to know how to make your home look better than your neighbors’, but you don’t want to break the bank. Check out some of your options.

Showcase Your Entryway

Find ways to make your entryway stand out. When people look at the façade of your home, it’s the first thing they will see. Further, as guests arrive, the entrance is what greets them. You can upgrade your door, use lighting to illuminate the walkway, and install framing statues.

Upgrade to New Widow Styles

Basic windows don’t attract the eye, but if you install a bay or specialty window, it will stand out from the street. Beautiful windows look incredible from both inside and outside the home. The benefits of new windows go beyond aesthetics. You can improve the energy efficiency of your home as well.

Take Care of Your Lawn

The majority of your property is likely your lawn. You should take care of the grass to prevent bald spots and dry patches. A manicured lawn instantly improves the curb appeal of a home. While some spend hours in their yard watering, clipping, and mowing, you may benefit from an irrigation system that uses the right amount of water where it’s needed on your grass.

Plant a Unique Garden

Everyone who drives by your home will gawk when they see your exotic plants. Create a garden around the perimeter of your home or property that showcases unique plants that your neighbors don’t have. People will instantly recognize your home.

With impeccable lawn care, exotic plants, and new windows, you’ll make your home look better than your neighbors’. Focus on the entry of your home to impress everyone who sees it.

How To Maximize Space in Your Small Apartment

Making a home out of a limited space requires you to reorganize your things to make the setup more efficient or less claustrophobic. Instead of longing for a larger floorplan, use these tips on how to maximize space in your small apartment with simple refurnishing.

Off the Floor and on the Walls

Picking items off the floor and hanging them on the walls instead is the fastest way to make your space seem more spacious. Mounting your television and moving the rest of the media console onto floating shelves opens the living area. Similarly, hanging spice racks free up counter space in the kitchen. You can even bring your home office off the floor with wall-mounted fold-down tables. You can fold these against the wall again when you finish work. Remember to look to your lease to see how your landlord handles wall repair and if you’ll need to keep spackling paste on hand for the future.

Function Over Flaunting

Take inspiration from minimalism to organize your small space in a way that feels less suffocating. Also, look at items that you interact with often or that you know you’ll need. Then, consider bringing them out before putting anything else away. That isn’t to say that your apartment can’t still feature your personality with framed photos, art, and décor. But look for function over form when your living space is limited.

Designated Spaces

Closing off spaces in your apartment may seem counterintuitive when you want to get the most out of its floor plan. However, dividing areas to designate them for specific functions can benefit your overall space. Free-standing bookshelves and other custom storage solutions can act as partitions in your apartment. Dividing a room allows you to fully invest in creating an office without impeding on the dining area or your mini lounge where you escape your work zone.

When beginning to maximize space in your small apartment, look at show floors and online photos for inspiration. Creating a space that you love requires you to be strategic and patient. You may find yourself reorganizing a few times as you search for a look that functions well and feels good. Part of the fun of a small floorplan is that customization is fully in your hands!

Guest Post - Advantages of Harvesting Rainwater

The process of harvesting rainwater into water tanks or barrels has been around for centuries. Thanks to the technology of rainwater harvesting systems, harvesting rainwater is now easier than ever. With uses in domestic scenarios, agriculture, and industrial applications, harvesting rainwater has many advantages.

Harvesting rainwater has many advantages, no matter the application. Because water is such a commonly utilized natural resource, there are environmental, financial, and other practical benefits. Just how much can you benefit from harvesting rainwater? Read on to find out.

Environmental and Energy Advantages of Harvesting Rainwater

There are several advantages of harvesting rainwater that positively impact the environment. Firstly, harvesting rainwater tanks helps to conserve water further by storing it safely for emergency purposes. Collecting rainwater can also prevent problems in your yard from stormwater overflow and ground erosion if you live in an area that frequently experiences hard rainfall. In addition to this, rainwater also serves as a natural way to irrigate crops and hydrate livestock without relying on your local water company. On the opposite side of the coin, during droughts, using harvested rainwater is especially helpful in preventing fires.

Harvesting rainwater also promotes energy conservation. Because rainwater harvesting is a reasonably straightforward process that doesn’t require much energy, using rainwater in your home, business, or other facility conserves more water needed to be pumped to you. This helps cut down costs on your end as well as your water company’s end.

Financial Advantages Brought by Harvesting Rainwater

The most obvious financial advantage of harvesting rainwater is that rainwater is free to collect because it is a natural resource. Strategically taking advantage of natural resources eliminates the need to buy water for crop irrigation or drinking. It also reduces water bills because you no longer have to pay for as much water as usual from your city’s water company to wash laundry or bathe. This can make a huge difference for tenants who cannot afford to pay a monthly water bill to get clean water for drinking or cooking in low-income areas.

Once a rainwater collection system is in place, rainwater harvesting can decrease the need for water in your community or at your job’s location. Rainwater harvesting systems are also pretty easy and inexpensive to maintain, so you can update your system to accommodate your rainwater harvesting needs better if they change. Rainwater harvesting also works in decreasing the demand for municipal water once a harvesting system is installed.

Practical Advantages of Harvesting Rainwater

Harvesting rainwater is easy, and setting up a rainwater harvesting system doesn’t take too much difficulty. Because of this, you can take advantage of the practical benefits of harvesting rainwater for your home with ease.

While rainwater is not always filtered, you can use potable rainwater for in-home applications such as water consumption and domestic uses like cleaning and cooking with a filtration system in place. Rainwater is also effective as an outdoor cleaner to get rid of debris from storms or clean your vehicle using a hose or pressure washer.

Harvested rainwater is also excellent to use outside for irrigation. Unfiltered potable rainwater can be safe for taking care of flowers and performing general lawn care and a variety of other applications where it is not consumed. Farmland highly benefits from harvested rainwater as the collected amount covers more extensive operations with ease, giving life to more dying plants in the heat.

In industrial applications, you don’t have to rely on treated water from your municipal water company. Instead, you can use harvested rainwater if you don’t require filtered water to carry out industrial tasks.

Find Solutions Through Harvesting Rainwater

If you think harvesting rainwater solves a multitude of water problems across a variety of applications, you’re right. While other water conservation methods can still be effective, a water tank and rainwater harvesting system opens you up to the many advantages of harvesting rainwater. With financial, environmental, energy, conservational, and practical benefits for collecting rainwater, it’s a wise option that promotes efficiency when accessing potable water.

About the author:

Steve writes extensively on rainwater harvesting related topics. This article is written by him for National Storage Tank Inc, provider of water storage tank solutions nationwide