Quality Assurance in Refurbished Office Furniture: What Standards Should You Expect as a Facilities Manager?

Ida Gorecka • April 9, 2025

Did you know premium office chairs are designed to last 15+ years, yet most are replaced every 5? As a facilities manager balancing workspace planning, budget, and sustainability goals, you're constantly challenged to deliver quality affordably. What if you could cut furniture costs in half without compromising quality or ESG targets?


Today's refurbished office furniture isn't what you might imagine. Modern refurbishment transforms quality second-hand pieces to look and perform like new, while saving money and reducing your carbon footprint.


How can you ensure you're getting genuine quality when choosing refurbished pieces? Let's break down what you should expect when sourcing second-hand office furniture for your next project.

Why Premium Office Furniture Brands Make the Best Refurbishment Candidates

Quality office furniture from manufacturers like Herman Miller, Steelcase, and Vitra is built to last decades, not years. These premium brands use strong materials and modular designs specifically created for future refurbishment and heavy use.


Look inside a quality office chair during refurbishment, and you'll find that even after years of use, the core mechanisms often work well and are in need of only minor repairs. The gas lifts, tilt mechanisms, and structural components - the parts that matter - usually have plenty of life left.


This longevity explains why a refurbished Herman Miller Aeron can deliver the same ergonomic benefits and durability as a new model at a lower price. In fact, the Aeron was specifically designed with 94% recyclable materials and modular construction to enable future refurbishment.


Your perfect refurbished Aeron is waiting in our warehouse right now. Click here to browse our collection of expertly restored second-hand office chairs waiting for their new home.

The Refurbishment Process: How Quality Second-Hand Office Furniture Becomes Like-New

At Coggin SOS, we approach office furniture refurbishment like restoring a premium car - every component gets thoroughly checked, tested, and either restored or replaced. 


Here's what happens when a piece of second-hand office furniture enters our workshop:


1. Complete Disassembly & Inspection - Each piece is taken apart, with every component individually assessed.


2. Thorough Cleaning - All surfaces are deep-cleaned using industrial-grade processes.


3. Mechanical Restoration - Moving parts like gas lifts, levers, and mechanisms are tested and either repaired or replaced.


4. Cosmetic Renewal - Fabric is replaced, scratches removed, and surfaces refinished to original manufacturer specifications.


5. Quality Testing - Each piece undergoes rigorous functional testing before receiving our 12-month guarantee.


When a chair or desk leaves our workshop, it's ready for years of reliable daily use. Every mechanism, adjustment feature and surface is brought back to original specifications.


Wondering if refurbished office furniture is right for you? Read this guide to find out!

Common Misconceptions About Refurbished Office Furniture Quality

Many facilities managers initially worry about the quality of refurbished office furniture. Let's address the most common concerns:


"Refurbished means lower quality" - Actually, older second-hand refurbished items from premium brands can be better quality than many new budget options. They've already proven their durability by withstanding years of use, while many newer budget items start deteriorating within months.


"It won't last as long as new" - Premium office furniture is designed for a 15-20 year lifespan. After professional refurbishment, these pieces typically deliver another 10+ years of service - far longer than most businesses keep their furniture.


"Staff will notice it's not new" - At Coggin SOS, our refurbishment process restores furniture to such high standards that most people can't tell the difference between new and our refurbished pieces. 


Still have questions? Contact us today and we'll explain how our refurbished pieces match new quality at half the cost.


Is cheap office furniture actually costing your business more? Find out in this article why it’s better to choose quality refurbished options.

Making the Best Possible Office Furniture Choice for Your Facility

As a facilities manager, your decisions impact workspace quality, budget efficiency, and ESG targets. By choosing refurbished office furniture from Coggin SOS, you can excel in all three areas without compromise.


Our quality standards ensure you receive furniture that:


  • Performs like new
  • Looks professional
  • Comes with a 12-month guarantee
  • Saves you money and time
  • Supports your sustainability targets


Want to see how much you could save while maintaining premium quality standards? Contact our team today for a no-obligation assessment of your furniture needs.

One Size Doesn't Fit All: The Benefits of Resizing and Repurposing Office Desks

By Ida Gorecka • September 8, 2025
Your office transformation is approved. Budget's signed off. New layout's finalised. There's just one problem: those 1600mm executive desks that worked perfectly in the old corner offices are now 400mm too wide for your new collaborative pods. The reception desk you spent £3,000 on last year? It's the wrong height entirely for your rebrand. Most facilities managers would see this as a disposal problem. Skip hire , landfill tax , 12-week lead times for replacements. But what if that's completely backwards? What if the furniture that doesn't fit isn't a problem to solve, but an asset to unlock? Every year in the UK, around 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill and only 14 % of them are being reused (Source: WRAP , Lancashire Business View ). Those old, "wrong-sized" desks you're planning to skip? They can be professionally refurbished and resized to your exact specifications in 7-10 days , at 40-70% less than new , with zero waste and a 12-month warranty . This article is for facilities managers, procurement leads, and fit-out teams who want practical, product-focused solutions. You’ll see when resizing and repurposing makes sense, the savings it delivers, the compliance boxes it ticks, and how to roll it out step by step. Curious what your current desks could deliver if resized or refurbished? Book a free assessment - we’ll map options, costs, and timelines for you.

Why Paying More Isn't Always Better: The Smart Choice of Refurbished Ergonomic Chairs

By Ida Gorecka • August 19, 2025
Refitting an office today means juggling a lot: tighter budgets, faster timelines, and pressure to deliver on ESG goals. And when it comes to ergonomic chairs, the one piece of furniture an office team relies on every day, many assume paying more for “new” automatically means better. But that’s no longer true. Refurbished ergonomic chairs offer the same comfort , durability , and support as new, backed by warranties , come with less cost and with far shorter lead times . For facilities and procurement teams, that means more budget freed up for other priorities, and fewer delays holding back your project. At Coggin SOS, we work with organisations that once assumed refurbished meant second-best. Until they saw the results. High-performance, fully warranted ergonomic chairs. Fast delivery. Circular outcomes they could actually report on. And savings of up to 80% compared to new (check out our case studies here ). In this article, you’ll learn what refurbished office chairs really offer in practice, why they’re becoming a preferred option for FM teams and procurement leads, and how your next fit-out or move could be both greener and smarter than you think. Thinking about your next office project? Contact our team and see how premium refurbished ergonomic chairs can give you comfort, savings, and sustainability in one.

Beyond Recycling: The Role of Office Furniture in a Truly Sustainable Economy

By Ida Gorecka • August 7, 2025
If you're here, you're probably managing a lot. A relocation, a refurbishment, or a growing ESG brief. Maybe you’re under pressure to meet sustainability targets, stay on budget, and deliver results your team and clients can actually see. And right now, office furniture might not be on your radar. But it should be. In most organisations, furniture is still treated as an afterthought. It’s functional, it’s bulky, and when it’s no longer needed, it’s often sent straight to landfill. But here’s the truth: when you start thinking of office furniture as a strategic asset within the circular economy , everything changes. For your budget . Your carbon reporting . Your project timelines . Your reputation . This article is for you if you’re tired of defaulting to skips. If you want smarter ways to meet ESG goals without blowing your budget. If you’re ready to make office sustainability a measurable advantage - not just a checkbox. We’ll show you just how much office furniture is wasted each year, what it’s really costing your business, and how the circular economy can apply directly to your projects. You’ll learn how organisations like yours are saving thousands, avoiding skips entirely, and turning unwanted furniture into reportable ESG wins - plus practical steps to get started today. Curious what your office clearance could be worth? Get in touch with our team for a free circular furniture audit.