Strategy to Relocate Your Office

Stay or move?

The decision on whether to extend or renew a long term lease or relocate to a new building should be undertaken after a lot of forethought and analysis.

For the purposes of this excercise, the assumption is that there is an option to stay or move.

A wide ranging analysis of financial and space planning needs to be carried out to consider all the factors involved. The end result should give a thorough understanding of relevant details and give a picture of the needs of the business.

Existing Space or Relocate?

By examining the existing space the first thing to establish is if it is a viable proposition to renew the lease on the existing building. The number of occupants both now and for the future, work flows, required standards and type of work carried out all have an effect.
If the building is owned or if there is a responsibility for extra building repairs on a leased building, the cost needs to be factored in, bearing in mind any dilapidation charges that may apply.

Other initial points to consider are:

• Is the current workforce still able to manage within the current building?
• What has changed since moving in to the building and what pressures will future changes bring to bear?
• Can the newest technology be put to good use in the existing areas?

Views of Senior Office Department Managers

Department heads and members of the senior management team will all have views on current and future space requirements and with the move seen as a real option will apply thought as to the running of the business and the best plans and layout for the future. Meeting as a team to discuss space requirements may highlight areas that could be combined or even need separating. Our space optimisation and design service wil help you.

Planning elements to take in to consideration include:

• Cafe/breakout areas
• Open plan or cellular offices
• Parking and green policy
• Accessibility
• Storage areas
• Washrooms
• Lifts
• Heating, lighting (natural and artificial) and ventilation
• Meeting/boardrooms
• Ventilation
• There may be other aspects uniquely important to your business

Once discussion has taken place, requirement ideas will start to come together. Comparing the limitations of the existing building with the requirements identified for the ideal solution will help with the decision to relocate or not. The ideas you have will help with the choice of a new building and early planning will give the best chance of finding the ideal solution.

If the decision is taken to relocate, the ideal plan will dictate the building(s) required and the search can begin. Agents and owners will be your contacts, we may also be able to help and if you are lucky enough to be able to go for new build, you can design your own ideal answer and we can also help. Interior design and fit out is our forte.

If you would like someone to listen to your requirements and design and build it to suit your needs, call us on 01553 811833 or email us info@officescapellp.co.uk