As business owners we are always looking for ways to save money. Whether you're an office manager, company controller, or a director, you know that buying new office furniture can be extremely expensive. That's why more and more people are turning to used office furniture to save money while furnishing their offices.

If money is no object, feel free to buy as much new office furniture as you need. But if you're working within a strict budget, used office furniture may be the way to go. It's possible to purchase used office furniture that will not only look good, but will also be accepted by employees and customers alike. Some of the benefits of purchasing used office furniture include:

• Saving money. You can save more than 50 percent over the cost of buying new office furniture. Most used office furniture pieces have only been used for a few years (or less) and have minimal wear and tear. Once the bubble wrap is taken off and the price tag is removed, most people cannot tell the difference between a new desk and a used desk.
• Saving time. If you've ever ordered new office furniture, you know that sometimes it can take up to four to six weeks to be delivered dependent upon range.  In some cases at Jills we can deliver within 48 hours or less.
• Reducing environmental impact. When a used wooden office desk is sent to the landfill, it takes years to break down. Melamine faced chipboard has to go to landfill if beyond repair because the surface cannot be separated from the wood chip and therefore contaminates it beyond use. The cost of stripping chairs into their components is high and not all parts can be guaranteed recyclable. By buying used office furniture, you will get a much better deal and help save the planet at the same time
• Getting more for your money. When you buy new office furniture, the resale value can depreciate to 25 percent or less of the original purchase price over five years. But when you buy used office furniture, the resale value can remain as high as 75 percent of what you paid for it.

When choosing the products the longevity of the product can be factorised into choice.  A chair or a desk that lasts 5 years plus is preferable to the cheaper economical model that carry up to a one year life span.

Consider the impact that the cheaper imported item has on the environment, the thousands of container loads being shipped into the UK.  In addition to the waste of raw materials and production of waste, there are also environmental impacts in the energy used to create containers and the transportation of the product by air and road.

Things to Keep in Mind

When buying used office furniture, keep in mind that you might not be able to find the colour or design you had in mind. The key point to remember is it's just like buying a used car: you must accept the colour, condition, and size, and hopefully the money you will save will be worth your time and effort.

Recycled office furniture typically costs anywhere between 30 to 80 percent less than new furniture, dependant upon manufacturer. Once you figure out how much money you can save, buying another company's discarded furniture begins to sound like a pretty good idea.

And you won't just be saving money; you'll also be helping the environment. Millions of tons of office furniture — most of which is not biodegradable — end up in landfills each year, so you'll be doing your part to reduce waste, helping cut out harmful emissions that contribute to climate change.