6 Tips to Make Buying New Office Furniture Easier and Less Stressful

By Diana L. Martin

Your company is moving to a larger facility ... you're adding new employees and have no available workstations … or your furniture is just in need of replacement. What do you do now? (No need to answer - you know I'm going to tell you.)

First, set your budget.  How much money are you willing to spend? The answer to this question will determine the product lines you will choose from. It may seem like I'm being “Captain Obvious” here, but you have to realize that if you want something nicer than an economy line, you'll need a larger budget.

Second, look at the available space. Figure out what will fit in the area you have. This will also help to determine what you can get. A small work area may not accommodate a U-shape workstation. If you have a lot of people to fit in a not-so-large area, cubicles may be the way to go. Our furniture team can help you with the layout. We have designers who will work with you to create a layout that will work with your space and can suggest lines and options that meet your needs and your budget.

Third, know your deadlines. Every furniture manufacturer has its own lead time. If you have only a short time to work with, ordering stock furniture may be the way you have to go. If however, you have a couple of months to work with, you have time to special order something that may be a better fit.  Your sales representative can help you with this because he/she knows the lead time for the various manufacturers and can show you products that will match your timeline. If it's a new building, make sure you will have your occupancy permits before your furniture is scheduled to arrive. If you need to rearrange existing furniture or clear a room for the installation, make sure you can have that done before the install date arrives.

Next, consider whether you need anything other than furniture. Do you need new flooring or window treatments? We can handle those for you also. Would you like decorating advice? We have interior designers on staff to help you with all your questions.

Then, make sure the company that you're dealing with has a service department that can handle repairs. If something breaks or falls off, can they fix it, or are you on your own after the installation is done? What if you need a new lock for your desk drawer four years from now? If you call them, can they handle it? Your file cabinet drawer is stuck and won't open - can they fix it? We have a top-notch furniture crew to handle whatever you need.

Finally, work with a trusted partner that you know will give your order the attention you need and deserve. Work with Office Express. We can make the process of buying new furniture easy from beginning to end and we'll help you with whatever you need - even if it's four years from now.