Many businesses and organizations have downsized over the past 3 years.  Sadly, some
have simply closed and some just walked away from their lease obligations.  These companies often leave behind expensive, well-planned office furnishings.   Resourceful
and savvy landlords and their leasing agents realized they can successfully market available lease space with the office furniture asset intact, basically
offering a true plug and play, ready to go space.  Repurposing used office
furniture is a sound, sustainable green practice, good Mother Nature.

The office furniture left behind, specifically cubicles, reception desks, lobby seating,
steel filing, training and conference rooms all were likely planned and color
coordinated for that particular space.  Moreover, a significant amount of time and financial cost went into the office furniture planning & acquisition process.  And even more hard costs were expended on the furniture delivery and installation, as well as on the data cabling, electrical wiring and the jacks & outlets.  These hard costs can amount to as much as 20-25% of the original purchase price.  So even better than a great deal, is truly the best deal… repurpose the used office furniture and occupy the space without moving it …  Again, it’s just sitting there waiting to be used.  Modular office furniture was designed to handle change and reconfiguration easily, so it can be modified to meet a new user’s needs and company  culture.

This may all sound so simple, but it’s surprising how often landlords, agents and prospective tenants down play or completely overlook the possibilities and benefits of repurposing  the office furniture sitting in the space.  Unfortunately, by the same token, the liabilities of the used office furniture left behind are also overlooked.  The cost of removal, loading, transporting, unloading and storing the used product can be substantial… as much as 25% or more of the original purchase price and a potential on-going monthly bill.  If a landlord is forced to remove the furniture from a space and then must quickly find a buyer themselves, the costs quickly become unknown and can really add up.  I know…. it’s my business to and my daily concern when assisting our clients with their office furniture asset  who are considering whether to acquire used inventory.

So true to life, the obvious is often overlooked.  It pays in many ways for landlords, agents and prospective tenants to fully consider all the benefits and liabilities of the used office furniture sitting around to be repurposed effectively.  So when wondering where all the used office furniture is… smile and know that it is likely sitting in the space for which
it was originally intended waiting to be a great deal for a savvy business or organization and then be loved again.