Whether it’s because your place needs to be updated and adjusted for your business needs, or you’ve come to a time when your space needs to be expanded, a commercial renovation is a handful. But, with careful planning and patience, it’s possible to achieve that. Here are five steps you need to take so you can make sure the renovation goes without any slip-ups.
Planning
Before you even decide to take on office renovation, you need to make sure it’s the right step for your company and employees. Does it benefit your business as much as you’d expect? Is an office relocation may be a better choice? Create a list of potential sites, including your current site, and weigh the pros and cons against each other. Keep future needs in mind so you can hopefully avoid going through the same process in a few years. If your office feels a little crowded, instead of relocating, you can try decluttering and putting away unnecessary things in storage. That way you can make room for more employees. You also have to have in mind that, while renovating your office space, you will have to find a temporary office where your employees can work for the time being.
Make A-Team
The essential element for a seamless renovation is having the right project team for the job. Establishing a team early, with all the required disciplines, builds an active group that will work well together. First, you need to find a good architect or interior designer and a qualified and reputable general contractor. They will make sure the project goes smoothly and make accurate test-fit budgeting and maximize cost efficiency. Drawing from extensive field experience, contractors can give valuable input on the project’s preliminary budget. An often overlooked team member is the facility executive or representative for the project owner. The facility executive must be able to make important decisions, help resolve unanswered questions, and hold team members accountable for their respective responsibilities.
Preparations
After you’ve created a team and everyone has their designated role, determine the budget. It needs to be seen early and high in case any unexpected costs and expenses arise, and after each step is completed, you can scale it back. Depending on the type of renovation, you may need to acquire building permits. In some cases, your contractor can take care of that, but it’s mainly your responsibility. If you are altering load-bearing walls, windows, or entrances and exits, you will likely need a building permit.
Schedule
You need to keep a realistic schedule after you carefully evaluate the timing of your project. Start with the finish date; in other words, work backward so you can allocate enough time for every phase. Renovations, although they seem to be easy and fast, aren’t always like that. Depending on the nature of it, it can last longer than expected, so you need to be prepared. Delays to the schedule resulting from unforeseen situations have the most significant impact on the budget. All following project issues should be addressed and resolved as they arise so that any obstacles that could compromise the schedule are dealt with immediately.
Be Productive
Some of the things to keep in mind when renovating your office space for it to stay functional for as long as possible are almost impossible to avoid. For starters, redesigning an office is an excellent chance to save on company overheads by increasing the thermal efficiency of the space. You can add extra windows for light and conserving more energy and also prewire the space for the wall or ceiling for equipment. You can implement a healthier work style for some of your employees by installing standing desks and areas where they can take a break — as for walls, sticking with a neutral palette should be your ticket. A right office redesign should also plan for new members of the team and incorporate smart storage solutions.
Conclusion
Depending on the nature of your renovation, you’ll have to create a perfect plan in which everyone has a designated job and purpose. After you build a team and consult with the professionals, all that’s left is to dive into the renovation and make your office a better place to work in. Not only will it look better, but research showed that a better office environment also improves productivity – so it’s a long-term investment.
