Office selection: what to look for

The people say that it is better to survive the fire and flood than one move. I, of course, do not agree with this, because I know how to turn the move into a simple and comfortable process for the customer. But if you still decided on an independent project and already go to see the office, then approach the issue thoroughly. Learn not only the view from the window, but also other key parameters of the room in which you and your employees will spend 8-10 hours a day.

What to pay attention to first of all: location, area, refinement?

Location and room size

The first thing that the future tenant looks at is the location of the object and the surrounding infrastructure. Pay attention to the availability of the building, the number and quality of Parking spaces. Evaluate not only the nearest, but also remote infrastructure – the presence of shops, cafes, hotels, metro stations.

The next important question is the area of the room. It seems that it is easy? The General recommendation is 10 square metres per staff member. Do you think that if there are 100 people in the company, then the company will definitely fit in the area of 1000 squares? Not everything is so simple. In rooms, especially large, there are always mines, niches, columns and other structural elements. Most often, the rental area is considered by BOMA standards, that is, without deducting the areas occupied by structural elements. You will pay for these elements, but you will not use the space occupied by them.

In addition, real life always makes adjustments to the standard calculations. And if the management wants an office more than 10 squares or wishes to put office tables which are 5 centimeters wider than usual? Most likely, such solutions will require additional space.

When we conduct a project, we will detail the placement plan: who, where and how will be located. We are not surprised that the exact calculations of the architect and designer are very different from those beautiful pictures of design projects that the customer shows us. Reality dictates its own rules, so you may have to increase the planned area after a detailed office layout.

You need practicing lawyers to check the lease

Legal aspect

Even if you are determined to do everything yourself, I recommend mandatory to give the lease for legal examination. Let an experienced lawyer who has practice working with real estate, study the project. It is important that the specialist should be specialized, he should know the specifics of the sale, purchase, lease, sublease of commercial real estate. Otherwise, you run the risk of signing a contract that will be for you bonded. I have seen in my practice quite sad examples of hasty decisions, so I have every reason to warn you about it.

It is better to pay a lawyer, but to protect yourself from the mass of possible problems and damaged nerves.

Technical condition of the facility

Once you sign the contract and stay in the new office, all its technical shortcomings will become your daily routine. Therefore, before making a final decision, check the technical condition of the object as carefully as possible. Pay attention to how the air conditioners work, how the water goes, how the electricity is supplied, how the lamps are located and what is the level of illumination at different times of the day.

If the room is rented ready and does not require repair, do not rush to rejoice. Be sure to ask to show a log of maintenance work, which is recorded, what, how and when was done in the office: repair, maintenance and so on.

Check the technical parameters – will you have enough light, air, water?

An example from practice: the company moved to a ready office of a large area. The former tenant left, the owner of the room repainted the walls and replaced the floors. After moving it turned out that the air conditioners are turned off, the bathrooms are clogged, the water flows poorly. This client came to me for help. I began to analyze the situation. It turns out that the customer just took his word for it, did not look at the project documentation, the history of the operation of the premises and did not conduct technical expertise. As a result, it is necessary to solve a whole range of problems in the life support of the new office.

Reference point

So, if you decide to rent an office, you will assess the following key points.

• The location of the object.
• The size of the room (make a detailed placement of the work area, not just a design project).
• Legal aspect (give the lease for examination to a practicing lawyer).
• The technical condition of the premises (assess the project documentation and the history of exploitation, test communication).

And better-invite experts. You will pay for a full examination of the object once, but will move to the room, which in all respects will be ideal for you. And you will spend your working day in comfort.

Ekaterina Maksimova