Sustainable and Cost-Effective Office Furniture Solutions for Higher Education: Make the Most of Your March Budget

Ida Gorecka • March 11, 2025

As March comes to a close, you’re likely looking at your remaining budget and deciding where to allocate it before the new financial year begins. Right now, educational institutions across the UK are in the same position, balancing cost-saving priorities with the need for high-quality, sustainable solutions, and meeting 2025 ESG targets.


One of the smartest investments you can make right now? Refurbished office furniture.


Your faculty offices, admin spaces, and student support areas are in constant use, and worn-out furniture can affect productivity, comfort, and even the professional image of your institution. But upgrading doesn’t have to mean spending big or increasing your carbon footprint.


Read on to learn why refurbished office furniture is the best choice to help you save costs, streamline procurement, and contribute to your institution’s ESG goals-all while ensuring a hassle-free, high-quality solution.

Make the Most of Your Budget with Refurbished Office Furniture

If your institution follows an April-to-March financial year, you know that unspent funds don’t roll over. That means this is your last chance to invest in cost-effective, long-term solutions that will benefit your staff and students next year and beyond.


Research shows that modernised workspaces with refurbished furniture contribute directly to improved employee efficiency and performance. By upgrading your environment now, you're not just saving money - you're investing in your team's productivity.


By acting now, you can unlock:



  • 50-80% savings compared to buying new office furniture
  • A 10-day turnaround for quality, premium refurbished furniture
  • Detailed documentation outlining the carbon and financial savings
  • Clear metrics on how many items you’ve diverted from landfill, showcasing your institution’s commitment to ESG stakeholders


Read how businesses are saving money and cutting waste on refurbished office furniture here.


Contact us today and let’s discuss how your institution can make the most of your March budget.

No Procurement Headaches: Hassle-Free, Compliant Solutions

We know that higher education procurement isn’t always easy. Budget approvals, framework agreements, and timing constraints can make even simple upgrades feel like a challenge. That’s why we’ve made it simple at Coggin SOS.


✔ Pre-approved procurement frameworks - No lengthy approval processes
✔ Hassle-free term-time delivery - So there’s no disruption to staff or students
✔ Fully customisable solutions - customisable fabric colours, desk resizing options
✔ End-to-end service - From selection to installation and aftercare


With years of experience working with universities, colleges, and education providers, at Coggin SOS we understand the pressures you face, and we’re here to make things easier.


Not sure if refurbished office furniture is right for you? Click here to learn more. 

Refurbished Doesn't Mean One-Size-Fits-All: Custom Solutions for Your Needs

Contrary to common misconceptions, refurbished furniture offers just as many customisation options as new pieces. The refurbishment process actually presents a perfect opportunity to tailor office furniture to your exact specifications and institutional identity.


Refurbished desks can be resized to fit specific spaces, making them ideal for awkward room layouts or workstations. Seating and soft furnishings can be reupholstered in a wide range of fabric colours, allowing you to align furniture with your institution's branding or create cohesive colour schemes across departments.


At Coggin SOS, our team can modify desk dimensions, offer an extensive library of fabric options, reconfigure modular systems, and restore finishes to your exact specifications. This means you get furniture that looks and functions as if it were made specifically for your institution-because in many ways, it has been.


Want to explore how refurbished furniture can be tailored to your institution's specific needs? Get in touch with our team today to discuss your specific requirements.

Educational Institutions and Businesses Are Already Seeing the Benefits of Refurbished Office Furniture

You wouldn’t be the first to save while making a sustainable choice.


Take Rosetta Brands, for example. When they switched to refurbished office furniture, they achieved:


  • £12,513 in cost savings
  • 1,758kg in carbon savings


"We wanted a cost-effective, sustainable office solution, and refurbished furniture was the perfect fit. It’s saved us money, reduced our carbon footprint, and improved our workspaces—all without the hassle."


Nick Comer - Managing Director, Rosetta Brands


If they can achieve these results, so can you.


Get in touch with our team today to see exactly how much time and money you could save.

Now Is the Time: Get Premium Refurbished Office Furniture Before Your Budget Resets

You’ve worked hard to secure and manage your budget, so don’t let it go to waste. By investing in refurbished office furniture now, you can:


  • Save money 
  • Meet your university’s ESG targets
  • Secure hassle-free, term-time delivery 
  • Improve staff workspaces 


At Coggin SOS, we've helped dozens of educational institutions convert end-of-year funds into long-term workspace value. Your team deserves better environments, and your budget deserves better outcomes.


Don’t miss this opportunity to upgrade your university’s workspaces, save money, and support sustainability goals.


Get in touch now before your budget is gone!

Why Buying Cheap Costs More: The Long-Term Value of Quality Refurbished Furniture

By Ida Gorecka • July 30, 2025
You’re in the middle of planning an office space. Budgets are tight. Lead times are short. It’s tempting to type “cheap office chairs” into your browser and find something that fits the spreadsheet. But here’s the problem: cheap furniture is rarely cheap in the long run . The market is saturated with budget desks, chairs, and storage that look good online, but fall apart in practice. And when they do, they cost more - more to replace, more to dispose of, more to fix (if that’s even possible), and more in lost time and productivity. It’s a vicious cycle that undermines your budget, timeline, and any potential ESG goals. According to WRAP , the UK disposes of over 200,000 tonnes of office furniture every year - much of it barely used. When furniture fails quickly, so does your investment. In a commercial setting, that failure shows up in missed deadlines, spiralling budgets, and sustainability goals slipping out of reach. So before you hit "order" on another bulk buy of flat-packed furniture, take a moment. In this article, you'll learn the hidden costs of cheap office furniture and why refurbished premium office furniture is the smarter alternative. If you're looking to reduce hassle, save money, and build a workspace that actually lasts, keep on reading. Need help getting started? Get in touch with our team for advice, audits, or to browse our refurbished stock .

Refurbished Office Furniture Saves Overbury Over £2000 on Site Setup Costs

By Ida Gorecka • July 18, 2025
Anyone who's worked in construction knows that site setup costs can quickly spiral. For Overbury , one of the UK's leading fit-out and refurbishment specialists, managing these costs while maintaining professional standards is a constant balancing act. When setting up their latest construction site office, they faced a challenge familiar to many in the industry: creating a functional workspace quickly and cost-effectively. After seeing what we achieved together on their previous project, Overbury approached us with clear priorities - they needed a professional office setup delivered on a construction timeline. With tight deadlines to meet and costs to manage, they needed their office space ready quickly while avoiding the expense and environmental impact of buying new office furniture. Like many construction projects, this one came with complex requirements - specific layouts, tight timelines, and budget constraints - yet Overbury knew from experience that refurbished office furniture could deliver exactly what they needed.

From Purchase to Repurpose: How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Office Furniture

By Ida Gorecka • July 16, 2025
If you're managing an office move, refit, or hybrid transition, you've likely faced this question: do we buy new furniture, or make use of what we have? Every year, over 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill in the UK- enough to fill Wembley Stadium twice. ( Source: WRAP ) With Landfill Tax raised to £126.15 per tonne in April 2025 (S ource: UK Government ), the cost of disposing office furniture is increasing fast. If you’re trying to balance budgets , meet ESG goals , and minimise downtime , choosing refurbishment over replacement could be the most strategic decision you make this year. In this guide, we’ll show you how to get more from what you already own. Saving thousands, supporting your ESG goals, and creating a more flexible, future-proof workspace. Got a project coming up? Get in touch and we’ll help you explore your refurbishment options.