Office Refurbishment Process – Explained in Detail
Here is just a list of the things that your office refurbishment process may include. If you are considering an office space renovation, or you are thinking about moving to the new space and would like to be prepared for the process before you even start looking for the potential refurbishment contractor, this guide is for you. With a wealth of experience in this industry, we were able to fully project and automate the process, so it goes smoothly. All potential risks are considered in advance, so the unexpected events are minimized, and you’ll be aware from the start how much the office renovation process could last, and cost.
This guidance is covering the project and all the aspects of office refurbishment. We hope that you’ll find it useful for the project you have in mind.
Step 1: Deciding whether you need an office renovation
It could be that your office has become dated, a little dilapidated, or ceased to serve the purpose because the organization of work changed. And now you need a different office set up. Here are some of the situations in which office refurbishment is necessary:
Reasons to Refurbish Your Office:
- The scope of work has changed, or your organization of work has changed, so you need some additional space for the newly employed people, or there is an anticipated need for the new employees in the future. In other words, you need a reorganization of office space. In this case, complete renovation does not have to be necessary. Slight adjustments of office space, in the form of the introduction of partition walls, or reorganizing the office furniture, can help you meet your needs.
- You need to move to a new office space which needs renovation or adaptation. In that case, the office refurbishment project would start with inspecting the new space.
- The current office set up doesn’t reflect who you are – your values, your culture or your brand.
- Your current office is dilapidated and needs refreshment. There are some situations in which a complete office refurbishment is a must. And it is mostly when you need to improve the look and the functionality of office space and create a healthy work environment
- Sometimes legislation forces companies to take on office refurbishment. For example, the government are constantly updating and changing things, moving toward greener energy and safer long-lasting materials. These things usually need to be replaced in advance before they become a hazard and compromise the health and safety of employees.
- You want to improve your image to your clients. When planning a refurbishment, you should always think about your long term goals as a company how your office layout and design works today might not be the case in 5 years’ time. We can advise on methods of refurbishment that allow for future growth to become more cost effective in the future. Manor interiors pride ourselves as a forward-thinking company, we always try to speak about the future plans of every business we work with before starting any refurbishment, to ensure that we offer the best solution not just today but in the future as well.
Talk to your landlord
Always check with your landlord before planning any office refurbishment. You may not realize that there are some scheduled refurbishments already planned as part of the lease agreement. You will probably need to submit a license to alter to your landlord, something that an office refurbishment contractor should be able to help you with. Landlords should look favourably on renovations that are going to help uplift their investments. You should also try to negotiate the details in the dilapidation’s clauses in the lease. This should always be considered as it can be a costly affair when the lease agreement ends if not managed properly. Sometimes your landlord may agree to contribute or split the costs if the refurbishment work is going to update the current premises.
Interesting fact:
In 2016/2017 Mind charity for better mental health carried out exhaustive wellbeing in the workplace study in the UK. 30 organizations took part in this first ever Workplace Wellbeing Index with 15,000 employees participating in the staff survey. The research shows that organizations creating the right environment for their staff can have a positive impact on employees’ health and wellbeing, as well as their job satisfaction and productivity levels.
Source: Forbes
Step 2: Set the office refurbishment objectives
What are the goals and objectives behind the office renovation idea? Even if you are still not quite sure how your office space should look like after the renovation, here is how you can plan it out.
Create a survey for the employees with the questions:
1) What do you like about the current work environment?
2) What you do not like?
3) What would you like to have in the office space?
4) Which style would be the most suitable for your workspace?
A survey will give you a solid foundation for the goals that new office space should meet, but decision makers should go further and think about the more strategic aspects of office space. Here are some important aspects that could help you go in the right direction while setting the office refurbishment goals:
- Office safety
- The spaciousness of the space
- Adequate ventilation
- Keeping lines of communication open between people and teams
- Taking into account the number of employees, the necessary communication between people and teams, and the space required for all individuals
- The balance between natural and artificial office lighting, and maximum use of natural lighting
- Intelligent office layout
- Sound insulation
- Updating communal facilities (as office kitchens and bathrooms)
- Allow some fun – consider having a break room if you don’t have one already
- Technology in the workplace
- Number of individual workplaces, private spaces and meeting rooms needed
All of the factors mentioned above will influence the final office design. It’s up to the decision makers to decide in which direction the process of an office refurbishment should go, and which objectives should be met. It is important to define the reasons and the goals of the office refurbishment at an early stage. There is no one size fits all solution when it comes to creating a workplace that will work for you.
Interesting fact:
Research carried out by the World Green Building Council recorded an 11% increase in productivity as a result of increased fresh air to the workstation and a reduction in pollutants.
Source: Forbes
Step 3: Collect offers from your potential office refurbishment contractors
You should start looking for an office refurbishment contractors after you’ve taken into account all of the aspects of the office space you’d like to work on. But also, if you don’t have time to dedicate to this part and don’t have resources to form a dedicated team for an office refurbishment project, the contractor should be able to help you.
We have been helping our clients with creating a wishlist and an office refurbishment brief, which also helped us being on the same page with the clients and setting the right expectations for both sides. As professionals with a wealth of experience with all sorts of the commercial and office refurbishment projects, we have an array of questions that we ask before any project, and an endless number of potential solutions in the sleeve.
At this point, you should consider the budget you are able to dedicate to this project and different offers from different office refurbishment contractors. You should never opt for the least expensive solution, but for a solution that is most optimal and that will be in line with your needs. Also, it is important to select a contractor that has streamlined processes and will be able to implement the project as soon as possible.
In Manor Interior Solutions, our processes are streamlined to the point where there is almost no downtime, and most of the activities can be done so that your work processes do not have to stagnate at all. We understand that time means money, and we strive to respect this principle and help clients achieve their workspace goals, without losing on the other side – in working hours.
The aspects you need to take into consideration when making a decision about hiring a specific contractor are:
- Optimal design solution – aligned with your needs and goals
- The optimal time for the complete renovation project
- Optimal budget
Costs to consider and other things
- Removal of old furniture
- Increased insurance costs
- Legal fees
- Costs incurred by the landlord may be passed on to you
- Planning permission
- By law, you are required to keep a record of waste and that is has been disposed of in an environmentally
- Friendly way
- Always keep a contingency for unforeseen circumstances
- Where will people be moved to whilst renovations take place
- Will some of the works be better done out of hours
Tip: Speak to an expert on capital allowances, many green or energy efficient products can be accounted for.
Step 4: Review the potential design solutions
The contractor you choose should be able to visually represent a couple of possible design solutions, and your task is to opt for one solution and give adequate feedback in a timely manner about which aspects of an office space need to be modified.
For example, if you would like to have a couple of doors added to the wall partition, so you can deploy several passages, this phase is an ideal time for mentioning that.
At this point, you already know the scope of a project, and you should agree with the contractor about the start date and the end date of a project.
When you have all of those elements, you can enjoy the process, keep up with your daily work and get ready for your new office space.
When you work with Manor Interior Solutions, all you have to do is share your wishlist and an office refurbishment goal with us. In most of the cases, we will help you shape the end solution that exceeds your expectations, and start the work after the design brief meets your goals and needs. You will have the project scope well defined and you will be prepared for the entire process in a timely manner.
Step 5: Execution
For the smaller office repairs, office doors installations, partition walls installation, or similar, all work can be done without any downtime in your company. Regardless of the type of office space renovation concerned, and whether it is a renovation of a business area where your company is currently located, or it is about renovating the space in which you plan to move, the contractor should give you all the details of the work, and possible interruptions, so that you can organize your work in time.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service at all times, and that is why if you are worried about the disruption stemming from the refurbishment project, we will happily work out of office hours, to leave you to carry on with your work whilst you watch your project come to completion, each time you enter the space.
The last step is moving into your new office space and enjoy watching the positive changes that will follow. Employee well-being is strongly correlated to employee productivity and performance. Even a small shift in well-being can have a dramatic impact on an organization’s productivity levels. Perhaps one of the largest factors of well-being is a physical workspace, according to Real Business.
So if you think that it is time to make some changes in your work environment, start making a wishlist, and we will take care of everything else.
Why Us?
- We are environmentally conscious
- We want to inspire confidence and trust
- We employ health and safety experts
- We always hit deadlines within the set budgets
- We are always up to date on current workplace legislation