In this article we look at how to plan and manage your Kent or London office refurbishment. Given that an office refurbishment may be the biggest outlay of your business it’s vital that it goes smoothly and efficiently and meets your business needs now and into the future. A successful office refurbishment can be a fantastic ROI if done properly. Managing your office fit out can be daunting and time consuming however this overview guide will provide you with all the important elements you need to consider to plan your next office refurbishment.
When Do You Need An Office Refurbishment?
You may find that your office space no longer meets your current business needs. You may be running out of space. Your decor may be becoming outdated or suffering from the normal wear and tear of everyday use. You may be looking to update your office space to match a change or update to your corporate identify. It may have been some time since you refreshed your workspace or you’re looking to move with the latest office design and refurbishment trends.
Whatever the reason change can be both intimidating and exciting. We know that many people don’t like change. We often cling to what we know and avoid altering anything that we’ve grown used to. But like all things, an office space will need to be updated eventually.
Change can inspire and help your business move forward e.g. embracing a new corporate identity, updating space to enable staff to be more productive or if you’re looking to attract new staff or retain current staff – an office refurbishment can provide an ideal tool to address these needs.
What Are You Looking To Achieve From Your Office Refurbishment?
There will be reasons why you want to carry out an office refurbishment. Some of which we have touched upon above. Based on these reasons the next step is to consider what you want to achieve from your design and build. Some of the many things an office refurbishment may be looking to achieve include:
- making more efficient use of your current office space
- making your office space work for new work processes (e.g. a move to more team work or individual working or the need for a meeting room or reception area)
- increasing or decreasing storage capacity
- updating tired decor
- a change to your corporate identity
- moving with the latest design trends
When Should You Refurbish?
It makes sense to try to carry out an office refurbishment when it’s likely to cause minimum disruption or downtime. Your main priority should be to avoid inconvenience to your business, staff and customers.
To that end you’ll want to plan ahead with your design and build company so that you can organise your refurbishment to take place during your business’s quieter times. Coordinate any work that will entail major structural changes to periods when you are likely to be less busy or to holiday times when your business is already closed.
It will be important that your office refurbishment company have a reputation of carrying out refurbishments on time. Sticking to the timelines and completion date that you’ve discussed and agreed with them based on the work to be carried out will be vital in ensuring that there is minimal disruption to your business.
It’s also important to communicate clearly with your staff and any visitors what your office refurbishment will mean to them in terms of office hours and when there is likely to be interruptions or downtime to your normal services. Half the battle is getting your staff on board with an office refurbishment.
What Can You Refurbish?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to office refurbishment. It really depends on what you are looking to achieve and of course what budget you have set aside.
Depending on your requirements and business needs any of the following can play a part in your office refurbishment:
- The layout of your office space. Office design and layout are a vital aspect of any office fit out. The right layout will essentially maximise your available space, enabling you to plan your e.g. office space, meeting room space, breakout areas, office kitchen fit out or tea points and washrooms.
- How to partition your office space. How you use partitioning can play a major role in your office refurbishment and to fulfil your business needs and processes. It can also help you to give the impression of increased space and height.
- Using suspended ceilings. A new suspended ceiling can transform your workplace and is a practical solution for concealing piping, wiring, uneven surfaces and ductwork to give a more aesthetically pleasing look to your refurbishment. Suspended ceilings also offer control and acoustic balance in a room.
- Making the most of your flooring. There are numerous flooring options available – from floor tiles to resin or vinyl flooring. Your choice is virtually limitless.
- Your workplace kitchen fit out and office tea points. The workplace kitchen or office tea point is now an essential facility in any workplace. There are a variety of kitchen unit styles and work surface finishes you can choose from. Your kitchen or tea point should reflect the size of your workforce.
- Washroom facilities. How they look and the first impression they create can be a reflection on your business and brand.
- The right office furniture for your business. Like flooring, office furniture choices are limitless. As an example JBH Refurbishments offer over 50,000 items of quality and durable furniture that comes in contemporary styles with a variety of colours and finishes to choose from.
- Office planting. In today’s workplace, office planting is a key consideration when undertaking an office refurbishment or office fit out. From plant and moss walls to wall plants and living pictures incorporating direct or indirect elements of nature into the built environment (known as “Biophilic design” – love of nature) can play a major role in staff health and well-being.
Who Should Carry Out An Office Refurbishment?
As previously mentioned an office refurbishment is likely to be one of the largest outlays any business invests in. Given this, it’s important to find and work with the right design and build company.
JBH Refurbishments have over 30 years experience in design and build. We understand how to deliver your project to set timelines, on budget all the while ensuring the quality of the work carried out. We will visit your site to assess your needs, discuss your requirements before putting together a project plan and going onto develop an office design and layout that meets your needs. JBH Refurbishments will ensure your office fit out is everything you hoped for and more. Contact us via our contact form or by calling us on 0333 207 0339.
