If you’ve never bought an office before then you should know that it’s not quite the same as buying a domestic property.
Depending on your type of business, your office is either going to launch your success or get in the way. So, buying an office is not a decision that you should be rushing into. Take your time, do your research an take these tips on board if you want to find the perfect first office for you and your business.
Affordable
When you buy or start renting an office you need to think about not only the general cost of the space but all of the additional costs that come with it, such as the cost of utilities and any additional features. Make sure you know exactly what you’re getting with your money. Expand your search outside of where you currently are to see if there are offices that are more affordable or better quality. For example, to find good quality commercial property for sale in the UK you need to expand your search outside of central London if you’ve got a small business. Take your time researching properties and adding up costs.
Is it comfortable and safe?
If you intend to keep your employees in the office for the typical nine to five hours then you need to find an office that is both comfortable and safe for them. This means that your office must have a certain amount of natural light, be big enough to comfortably fit all of your employees and their work stations, have a supply of safe drinking water, must have a temperature management system and must be up to code in terms of health and safety. It’s also a good idea to find an office in a safe or public area if you intend for any employees to work later in the evening.
Does it have what you need?
As well as being a comfortable place to work, your office needs to have everything that is necessary for your work. For example, if all of your employees are using computers you need to make sure that you have enough outlets. You should also consider investing in quality office coffee equipment and office water dispensers to keep your team hydrated, energized, and productive.
If you need storage space then you need to think about where all of your furniture and storage is going to go. When looking at offices bring a list of what you need and take your time walking around the space to get an idea of what the property does and doesn’t have.
Looking forward
When you rent an office space you usually rent it with the intention of staying there for a long time. In that case, you need to think about what your business is going to look like in a few years. Will you have the same amount of employees? Will you need more or less equipment? If you have any intention of growing your business, you need to think about how your future business is going to fit into this space, otherwise you’ll spend several years making your office perfect only to outgrow it a few months later.