The exact same desks are sold buy thousands of different dealers and retailers.  Many times, the exact same furniture catalog will be used by different dealers and just have different covers.  This means that if you put the time into researching furniture suppliers, dealers, and retailers you could save a lot of money.

Here are things to consider when choosing an office furniture supplier:

1.  Do you want the company to deliver and install the furniture?

If so, then you may want to pay a little extra for that service.  Corner office desks in particular can actually be a little complicated to put together.  Additionally, sometimes the furniture installer will be able to perform services such as drilling extra holes for the best computer and phone installation.  A furniture dealer may also be able to do things like order extra pieces such as a keyboard tray if you want it.

2.  Do you want a warranty?

This is another benefit to consider when shopping for furniture dealers, especially if you are looking into used furniture.  Many dealers or retailers will offer different kinds of warranties on their furniture.  Also be aware that manufacturers sometimes offer warranties as well.  So if all a dealer offers is a manufacturers warranty, that is not a selling point for that dealer because the warranty comes with the product no matter where you buy it.

3.      Do you need a designer’s help?

If you are purchasing furniture for an entire office building or for a corner executive office, then you may need a designers help.  Many furniture companies have trained designers that will help you at no extra charge.  They will help coordinate chairs and desks with your carpet, wall paint, and artwork.  If you are just looking for a single piece or a small amount of office furniture, then you probably do not need to choose a furniture dealer with interior design services.

Keep in mind that you can find the same piece of furniture at hundreds of places.  So the difference will be in the service that you can at these places.  A little bit of research and knowing exactly what you need will help you in your office furniture buying experience.

1.  Where will the l-shaped desk be located?

Which room you place the corner computer desk in as well as how the desk will be positioned in that room is an important thing to know.  I once bought an l-shaped desk without considering this, and once it was installed in my office I realized that the space designed to keep my computer was facing the back corner of the room.  I was able to flip the desk around to face the front, however it jutted out into the room in a way that I did not originally want it to.

So it is very important that you have it laid out in your floor plan exactly how the desk will be setup. 

2.  What functions do you want the desk to have?

Do you want a keyboard tray?  Do you want file drawer space?  Do you need a lot of regular drawer space?  Do you need to place a lot of computer and printing equipment on your desk?  Do you need to have a space for quests to be able to sit across from you and write?  Do you need a hutch?

Ask yourself these types of questions before you shop so you know exactly what you are looking for.

3.  What style material do you want?

Do you want wood or laminate?  What color material matches your office?  What color hardware do you want (brass, silver etc.)? 

Once you have the answer to all these questions, then you should know exactly what type of l-shaped office desk you are looking for.  Then you can begin your search for the perfect corner office.

1.  Even if you want to buy in a store, shop around online first.  Find what you want online and find the best prices.  It only makes sense to compare what all the competition is charging for the same product.  Then, if you still have a particular store you want to buy from, see if they will match that price.

2.  Once you find the perfect corner office desk, try going directly to the manufacturer.  This can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars on office furniture.  Buying direct from the manufacturer skips the middle man (ie retailer).  Obviously, retailers mark-up the manufacturer’s prices so that the retailer can make a profit too.  If you shop directly from the manufacturer, you can save all the mark-up costs.  You usually have to give up certain luxuries such as delivery and installation when you buy direct from manufacturer.  However, for many the inconvenience is worth it.

3.  Buy used office furniture.  Search on Ebay, or Craigslist for used furniture.  When a big company remodels or moves, they have an enormous amount of used office furniture to unload.  Even if they do not sell online themselves, many times a dealer will take the furniture off the business’ hands and sell online for very cheap.  Or you can contact a dealer directly and let them know what you are looking for.  Many times, they can get you the used furniture that you need.  Additionally, many dealers will paint the furniture to match what you already have, deliver, and install the used furniture.  So if you find the right used furniture dealer, you will not have to give up any of the conveniences that you get when buying from a new furniture store.

4.  Shop at furniture outlet stores.  Many manufacturers and retailers setup outlet stores for their furniture.  At these places they sell things such as damaged corner computer desks, over-stocked items, and discontinued product lines. 

5.  Negotiate.  Furniture is one of the most marked up retail products there is.  So there is a lot of room for price negotiation.  So when you find the perfect corner computer desk, let the negotiations begin.

Use these tips to save money when buying office furniture.  A little research and effort can save you thousands of dollars on your next trip to a furniture store.