Try These Methods to Outfit Your Office Without Overspending
Setting up an office space means making dozens of decisions that affect both budget and productivity.
Smart buyers have discovered that Kansas City used office furniture dealers, like Santa Fe Office Interiors, offer exceptional value. The trick lies in knowing what to look for and what to avoid. Try these six strategies when affordably outfitting your workplace.
1. Smart Shoppers Measure Twice, Buy Used Furniture Once
Walking into any furniture showroom, including ours, without proper measurements leads to costly mistakes. Take photos of the space from multiple angles. Note outlet locations, HVAC vents, and awkward architectural features that might clash with furniture placement. A quick sketch with dimensions helps spot potential issues as you shop.
Account for the space needed when people actually use the furniture. That perfect used desk for sale might fit against the wall, but what happens when someone needs to squeeze past while a colleague is on the phone? Real-world use patterns matter more than pure dimensions.
2. Smart Buyers Consider Used Furniture Construction
Peek inside a drawer of a high-quality used desk, and the construction tells a story. Modern budget furniture often relies on quick assembly methods, butt joints, and lightweight materials. Older pieces, built when manufacturing costs allowed for more substantial materials and construction methods, frequently survive decades of daily use.
Metal drawer slides should move without catching. Solid wood edges resist damage better than thin veneer tape. These small details add up to used furniture that keeps working long after cheaper, new alternatives need replacement.
3. Wise Shoppers Test Used Furniture Before Buying
Simple functional tests of your furnishing options reveal potential problems. But deeper examination pays off.
Check chair cylinders by sitting and adjusting height multiple times. Weak cylinders slowly sink under weight. Tilt mechanisms should move smoothly and lock firmly, but never feel loose or unstable.
File drawer rails matter more than appearance. Full-extension drawers make accessing files easier than partial-extension models. Testing reveals these practical differences that affect daily use.
4. Smart Business Owners Create Cohesive Used Furniture Sets Out Of Eclectic Pieces
A matching furniture set brings visual calm to an office, but finding a complete set secondhand is hard, no matter where you’re shopping. Instead of waiting for a miracle, focus on creating visual harmony through consistent elements. Dark wood tones or all-white shades work together, even if individual pieces are from different manufacturers. Clean lines match other clean lines.
Don’t waste time hunting for perfect matches when mixing styles will not only work fine, but look great. This flexibility opens up more options, so you can focus on finding a good deal.
5. Eco-Minded Shoppers Consider the Environmental Benefits Of Used Furniture
Numbers tell the story. Office chairs with height adjustments produce 75 kilograms of carbon emissions in their lifetime; manufacturing metal and plastics account for 70% of a chair’s total carbon emissions, according to the Furniture Industry
Research Association.
Choosing used furniture cuts that environmental impact to just transportation costs – getting it from a store like Santa Fe Office Interiors to your workplace. Small choices like these multiply across an office.
Metal filing cabinets last practically forever. Keeping them in service makes environmental sense. The same goes for solid wood furniture, which is reparable over and over, whereas broken plastic pieces make it more difficult.
6. Good Stewards Make Used Furniture Last
Regular maintenance prevents small issues from becoming big problems. Loose screws tighten easily if caught early. Chair wheels need occasional cleaning. Drawer slides benefit from light lubricant.
Simple habits protect furniture investments. Using desk mats prevents wear patterns. Teaching staff proper chair adjustments reduces strain on mechanisms. These practices extend furniture life significantly.
Smart Shopping At Santa Fe Office Interiors
Of all the dealers of used furniture in Kansas City, Santa Fe Office Interiors is different. We specialize in outfitting workplaces with a collection of quality brands like Boss Seating, Bush Business Furniture, and Global-OTG. These manufacturers have earned reputations for durability, and that’s at the root of what smart buyers are looking for in used furniture.
Come shop our 9,000-square-foot showroom that houses an extensive selection of pre-owned chairs, partitions, filing cabinets, conference tables, and used desks for sale. Our inventory is always changing, and our team is happy to help you find quality pieces for your workplace. We can even order certain new items at reasonable prices to help you finish your furnishing project.
Want to explore options? Visit our showroom at 8106 Santa Fe Drive in Overland Park. Call (913) 901-8800 to check our current inventory or schedule a shopping visit.