Office Refurbishment VS Office Relocation

To refurbish or relocate your office?

There is a lot of debate over the impact of COVID causing the end of the office as we know it. What businesses do with their office space is a question yet to be answered by many business owners. A workplace strategy will aid this decision-making, as described in Step No.4 of our own workplace strategy.

Some businesses might not even be considering a refurbishment or moving to a new office due to these unprecedented times and deem it too risky. However, this change can benefit the business to ensure it’s adhering to any Government guidelines as well as keeping employees safe and satisfied.

Choosing one or the other can be a part of a longer-term plan you have for your business to get back to normal, or to a new normal. Below we discover the differences between the two options and the benefits or pitfalls they might have on your business as we come out of lockdown.

Office Refurbishment

Do you know the difference between an office fit-out and an office refurbishment?

A fit-out is about working on a new empty space whereas a refurbishment is about improving your current workspace.

A lot of business owners are asking, how is an office refurbishment in the middle of a health pandemic going to help?

An office refurbishment can be a step towards the recovery of your business by revamping your current space. This could be simply changing the layout to adhere to social distancing guidelines, updating outdated furniture or a part of a rebranding.

Pros

• Makes better use of your current space
• Increases employee productivity
• Improves health and safety
• Reinforces the company’s branding

Cons

• Space is not utilised efficiently
• Higher overhead costs long term
• Waste of monies spent on spaces that aren’t used regularly

Office Relocation

A lot of businesses have realised that their workforce can work from home just as effectively as they were in the office, pre-COVID. Now the business is working at a lower capacity in the office, there might be some empty space that isn’t being utilised. This could result in the business wanting to relocate to a smaller office as a more permanent and longer-term solution.

Moving to a new premises might mean you need to carry out some dilapidation works to remedy the breach of a lease covenant, relating to the condition of a property. This process can get confusing with all the legal jargon, so to understand it all we have broken down the dilapidation process and the definitions in a blog post.

Understand the Jargon of Dilapidations

Pros

• Lower overhead costs due to smaller space
• Personal benefits to employees working from home
• A chance to rethink and action new company processes
• Go greener with more sustainable design choices

Cons

• It’s a longer process to find a new location, fit-out the new office and moving
• Some employees might not like the new location
• There’s a risk for a change in company culture
• Lose collaboration opportunities and connectivity

For more details on each service and their process, click the buttons below to be taken to their individual pages:

Office Refurbishment

Office Relocation

If you can’t decide whether an office refurbishment or relocation is best for you, speak with one of our team.

This decision won’t be easy but with our over 30 years experience, we have the expertise that can help you make the right choice for your business.

Call 0333 600 1234 to discuss your pros and cons list or fill out the form below and one of the team will call you back shortly.