We’ve all heard the old real estate adage: location, l. When it comes to leasing an commercial office space, however, location is not the only factor that matters. Here are 6 timeless tips for finding the best office space for your business.
- Location
Finding the right space for you and your team is very important. Will the commute be hard on them and make them late to work? The right location can provide easy transport options and also be front of mind for potential customers who walk by your office lease space. - Check before you commit
Next, you will need to make a decision about the options that your building offers. If you aren’t happy with the options, ask for what you want. Make sure you ask about the features that are important to you and your company. Be sure your work spaces has additional facilities that you might need like parking, kitchen area and break out space. What will your employees think of the new office space? - Size
Size matters. Think about the furniture and number of staff you have and make use of the space.
Will your team be able to find a parking space? Will air conditioning problems or window glare cause them to suffer through an uncomfortable work environment? Do you need storage space for your company’s stock of products or equipment? Will you be able to accommodate your customers and clients? Think about the big picture before you sign the lease for your commercial office space. - More Flexible leasing terms
Check out the condition of these items before you seal the deal. It’s important to know if you are getting a deal because the features are missing or if they were never there in the first place. It’s also a good idea to check with your local municipality to see if it is legal to remove these items.
Check the public records for liens or other encumbrances. Make sure the building isn’t subject to any kind of litigation. Be sure to check zoning restrictions before you - It’s not just about budget
Resist the temptation to lease just based on price. What does the space look like? Will the office help your team work productively?Create a shortlist of potential spaces and rank them in order of preference so that you can step back and take a more objective approach. Take screen shots of your search results and do a side-by-side comparison later.Due to space or privacy concerns, some business owners prefer to meet with their potential landlord in a neutral location. If you’re not able to perform your initial search in person, JAGA are able to be flexible for you and help you from the comfort of your own desk, - Office Layout
The right office environment can help your team work more effectively.
Commercial Office Lease Advice
Finding a good corporate office for lease is hard work. It is often an endless task.
This is the story of how I hunted office lease spaces for many corporate clients for many years and here are the key things I have observed:
- When you look for office space, you often get asked “How many square meters do you need?” If you have 50 employees, then you need a certain amount of office space that accommodates for slightly more people for meetings and breakout space. Therefore, you might want to find a space that caters for 55 people.
- Don’t just rely on the X people per square meter rule. This is a general rule of thumb and will vary on the office layout. Any office planner will be able to tell you that an efficient layout for 20 people is very different to an efficient layout for 80.
The real question then becomes “What do you want your office layout to be like?”
It is also important to realise that your office need is not static – your needs may change so your office lease space might need to be flexible Break it down in to a 3-5 year plan and assess regularly to see what your newer requirements are.
