Hire vs Buy: Which Makes More Sense?
A factual comparison to help you decide whether buying outright or hiring furniture is the better option for your situation.
There is no universal right answer. The decision depends on how often you run events, whether you have storage, and what your capital budget looks like. The points below should help you work it out for your own situation.
Buying makes sense when…
- You run events at least 8–12 times a year on the same equipment.
- You own or manage a permanent venue.
- You are a hire company building or expanding your fleet.
- You have storage space on-site or at a nearby unit.
- You want to control the condition and availability of your stock.
- Your events run back-to-back with no gap for hire logistics.
- Hire companies in your area cannot guarantee availability for your dates.
Hiring makes sense when…
- You are running a single event with no future requirement.
- You are unsure of the quantities you need and want to avoid over-buying.
- You have no storage between events.
- You need delivery, setup and collection handled for you.
- You want to test a product before committing to purchase.
- The event is a one-off and capital expenditure is not justified.
Cost comparison: an example
These figures are illustrative. Hire costs vary by location and supplier; purchase prices reflect current Expo Direct pricing.
| Scenario | Buy (100 chairs) | Hire (per event, 100 chairs) |
|---|---|---|
| EventPro® Eames Style Chair | £2,995 ex-VAT total (one-off) | £8.00 per chair (£800 per event for 100) |
| Chiavari Banqueting Chair | £3,200 ex-VAT total (one-off) | £3.85 per chair (£385 per event for 100) |
Break-even point: At a hire cost of £800 per event for 100 Eames chairs, the purchase price (£2,995) is recovered after approximately 4 events. After that, every event with owned stock costs nothing in chair hire. For venues running monthly events, the break-even is around 4 months.
Why are Eames chairs more expensive to hire? Unlike Chiavari chairs, Eames chairs do not stack. That means more van space per chair, more handling time and more storage cost for the hire company — all of which feeds into the hire rate.
Other factors to weigh up
Storage
100 stacked folding chairs take up roughly 4 m² of floor space. 10 rounds of 5ft banqueting tables stack to about 1.2m high per stack of 10. Many venues absorb this in a back store room with no issue.
Maintenance and replacement
Owned stock needs occasional replacement as pieces break or wear. This is typically 5–10% of stock per year in heavy commercial use. Build this into your cost model.
Availability
Hired furniture is subject to the hire company’s availability. During peak season (spring and summer), popular items can book out weeks in advance. Owned stock is available whenever you need it.
Cash flow
Buying requires upfront capital (or credit). Hiring spreads the cost across individual events with no capital commitment. Trade accounts with Expo Direct allow purchase on credit terms, which can ease the upfront cost of buying.
If hiring is the right call…
Our sister company, Expo Hire, covers the same equipment on a hire basis. They operate from the same premises and carry the same stock, so you can be confident in the product quality. If you need furniture for a one-off event, or want to test quantities before buying, Expo Hire is the place to start.
Visit expohire.comReady to buy?
Browse the range or get a bulk order quote. Trade accounts with credit terms are available.