What to Consider Before an Office Fit Out

An office fit out is the process of choosing, designing, furnishing, and equipping a new or renovated office space. A fit out can also involve revising an existing office area. Fit outs give you the opportunity to arrange your new or existing office exactly as you want it to be, taking best advantage of characteristics of the space and placing features where they will be most efficient or convenient. An office fit out should be carefully planned in advance to make sure you’re getting all the benefits of the new office area.

Needs and Reasons

Give careful thought to what you need and how you expect to benefit from changing to a new or renovated office space. A totally new office can be refreshing and invigorating, but sometimes the same could be accomplished for less by reworking your existing facility. Some common needs and reasons for an office fit out include:

• Upgrading or improving facilities: If your current space is outdated, not energy efficient, or no longer suitable for your purposes, a move to a new space lets you find facilities that are more appropriate.
• Accommodating a business size change: If your business has expanded, contracted, or been part of a reorganization, a new office space could be more productive and economical. The new location could also be approached with the idea of offering as much flexibility as possible.
• Improvements in image, reputation, and morale: A fresh new office space can make your company look good, especially if you’re moving into a more upscale area in line with business expansion and reputation enhancement. Employees could receive a boost in morale and confidence in a newer office space.

Planning

Plan the move carefully to account for as many factors as possible, as far in advance as possible. Look at areas such as:

• Space needs: How much space will you need now and in the future? What kinds of spaces are needed, such as kitchens, conference rooms, and private office areas?
• Storage needs: You’ll need a location to store equipment, supplies, and other material, so include this in your space needs calculation.
• Location needs: Decide what sorts of other businesses or accommodations you want near your new office. This could include public transportation access, restaurants, professional services, parking, and other amenities. Visit your potential new office building in person to take a close look at the building itself, the neighborhood, and the type of neighbors you’ll have.

Timing

A major relocation of your office space should be carefully timed to have minimal effects on operations. Even the renovation and rearrangement of an existing space can disturb office functions significantly.

• Work out a tentative schedule for moving out of your old space and into the new. Account for factors such as holidays, employee schedules and vacations, major work in progress, and contracted move in/move out dates.
• Start packing equipment and material as far in advance as possible. If you can get early access to your new space, take advantage of it by moving smaller items in before the official moving day. Be as efficient as possible with the moving process so that you aren’t paying rent on two spaces at the same time. Budget Calculate a budget for your office fit out and do your best to stick to it.
• Prepare a budget for new furniture and equipment, utility connections, plumbing or electrical expansions, and structural changes, where needed.
• Account for potential costs such as inspections, permits, safety evaluations, environmental assessments, new signage and stationery, website updates, and insurance.
• Know what your ongoing monthly expenses will be for rent, utilities, online services, heating and cooling, taxes, and facility security.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection, and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial, and Residential settings. For more information on the processes involved in an office fit out, and to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!