Kick-starting your office Journey. Expectations vs Reality when starting your office journey

Many of our clients have never managed a fitout process before, and therefore it is important to engage a fitout partner who will manage your expectations with honest and realistic advice about what your budget can achieve and how it can be maximised to create the best solution possible.

A new workspace can have long-lasting significant effects on your business operations, and employee engagement and how your company is perceived by visitors to your office. It is an important process and therefore it cannot be stressed enough that the cheapest price does not equal the best value. Simply speaking; if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

A fitout partner is meeting your business in the hope of being engaged to deliver your project and therefore if they provide feedback that your vision, budget and program are not realistic, you should take this feedback onboard and re-assess.

All fitout companies have certain overheads and must still engage the same workforce and buy the same materials. If you receive a vastly cheaper fee, additional costs will likely occur during the project through variations and ‘unseen’ issues. Honesty and transparency up front with a set fee structure ensure that hidden costs will not occur after the construction has begun.

An experienced partner will have the ability to provide tours of previous projects and explain the varying levels of specifications and finishes depending on the square metre cost. That is not to say that a lower spend will appear low-quality, simply that a fitout expert will be able to assess your requirements and implement value engineering using their network of suppliers to identify the most cost-effective solutions that will maintain the design intent and vision.

And last, of all, try to be practical! You may wish to install pool and ping-pong tables, however, should your budget be more limited, essential spending should be allocated to elements that will enable and support business success such as technology, a variety of work settings for collaboration and a common social area for team wellbeing.

To discuss your business plan and fitout budget, don’t hesitate to Talk to us now, we’re always happy to guide our clients on the best solution.