The Costs of Poor Office Furniture: How Investing in Quality Refurbished Options Is the Smarter Choice For SMEs

Ida Gorecka • March 17, 2025

If you're running an SME, every spend counts. Whether you're launching a startup, expanding your team, or updating your workspace, office furniture plays a key role in daily operations. But here's what you should know - not all office furniture is created equal.


Cutting corners on furniture might seem like a smart way to save money upfront, but poor-quality pieces can cost you far more in the long run. In fact, substandard office environments cost the UK economy approximately £4 billion annually in lost output. Investing in high-quality refurbished office furniture is a smarter, cost-effective solution. It's better for your budget, enhances productivity, supports employee well-being, and aligns with sustainability goals.


Let's break down how cheap new furniture silently drains your budget, while quality refurbished pieces deliver returns year after year.

The Hidden Costs of Cheap Office Furniture

1. You’ll Spend More on Replacements


The ‘fast furniture’ trend promotes cheap, disposable products, creating endless buying cycles. Many low-cost office items use cheaper materials like particleboard and low-grade plastics from unsustainable sources. These aren't built to last, resulting in wobbly desks, cracked chairs, and peeling surfaces within just a few years-sometimes even sooner.



What seems like a bargain initially-like a £80 office chair-often leads to frequent replacements, ultimately costing more than investing in quality refurbished or modular alternatives. Higher-quality, sustainable office furniture features replaceable components and recyclable materials, reducing both long-term costs and environmental harm.

2. Productivity and Employee Health Take a Hit


Your team spends 35+ hours per week at their desks. If their chairs are uncomfortable or their desks are too small, it directly impacts productivity and well-being. Uncomfortable chairs, desks at the wrong height, and poorly designed workspaces cause real physical strain. 


According to Forbes, workers using poorly designed chairs experience a 17% drop in efficiency due to discomfort and back pain.

Investing in ergonomic, premium refurbished office furniture can improve employee well-being, reduce sick days, and boost efficiency.


Stop settling for less-reach out to our team at Coggin SOS for affordable, premium refurbished furniture that keeps your team at their best.

3. Your Brand Image Suffers


Imagine bringing a new client into your office. If they see wobbly desks, peeling veneers, and mismatched chairs, what message does that send? 


Your office space reflects your business. Clients, partners, and even potential hires take notice of worn-out, mismatched, or cheap-looking furniture. If your workspace looks neglected, it can send the wrong message about your professionalism and attention to detail.


Refurbished office furniture allows you to create a stylish, professional space without breaking the bank.


Find out why now is the perfect time to upgrade your office furniture and how your business can benefit from premium refurbished office chairs and desks.

Why Refurbished Office Furniture is the Smarter Choice for SMEs

1. Save 50-80% Without Compromising Quality


Refurbished office furniture allows you to access top-tier brands at a fraction of the price. Instead of overspending on lower-quality, mass-produced furniture that wears out quickly, you can invest in durable, expertly restored pieces that look and function like new-without the hefty price tag.


At Coggin SOS, we specialise in sourcing and refurbishing premium office furniture from leading manufacturers, ensuring you get long-lasting, high-quality desks, chairs, and storage solutions. Get in touch with our team to explore your options.


2. Customisation to Fit Your Brand


Unlike generic budget furniture, refurbished pieces can be tailored to match your company’s aesthetics and needs.

At Coggin SOS, we offer:


  • Desk resizing - Need a perfect fit? We resize desks to your exact measurements, maximising your space.
  • Fabric & finish choices - Match your brand with a wide range of colours, materials, and styles.
  • Reupholstery & refinishing - Refresh chairs, partitions, and storage to look as good as new.


Still not sure if refurbished office furniture is right for you? Read this article to find out more.

3. Scalability Without the Stress


If you’re growing, refurbished office furniture offers flexibility. At Coggin SOS, we make growing your workspace simple and stress-free:



  • Bulk availability - We stock large quantities of high-quality refurbished furniture, ensuring consistency across your office.
  • Modular & reconfigurable solutions - We provide adaptable workstations and storage that evolve with your business, reducing future costs.
  • 10-Day turnaround - No long lead times. Our refurbished pieces are ready to go, helping you scale quickly to meet demand.

4. Sustainability Matters (And Your Customers Care)


ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors are now essential business considerations. Today's consumers, investors, and employees expect companies to demonstrate genuine commitment to sustainable practices.


Your office furniture choices directly impact your environmental footprint and reflect your company's values. By choosing refurbished furniture, you demonstrate a visible commitment to reducing waste and conserving resources-something that resonates with clients, partners, and team members.


At Coggin SOS, we don't just touch on sustainability, we help you quantify it. Every sustainable choice with us is captured in an exclusive savings certificate, showing:


  • Items kept from landfill
  • Carbon savings
  • Material recycling rates
  • Money saved versus buying new


You can use this certificate to show customers, staff and stakeholders your commitment to sustainability, strengthen tender applications, and prove your green credentials.

Make the Best Choice for Your Business and Start Saving Today

Can you afford to keep losing money on disposable furniture? Investing in quality refurbished pieces elevates your workspace, performance, and ESG credentials all at once. 


At Coggin SOS, we're committed to helping SMEs like yours create productive, professional workspaces without the premium price tag. Our refurbished office furniture delivers the quality, durability, and style your business deserves-all while supporting your sustainability goals and protecting your budget.


Want to stop paying the hidden tax of poor furniture choices? Get in touch.

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.