Does your office need a change? The depth and breadth of this change often depends on what your goals are and the reasons you seek an update. How can you decide what you really need for your business and your employees? Here are three major types of office changes and what you get from each.
Refresh
An office refresh is the least invasive of all office and administrative area changes. It’s a cosmetic change that brings a new vibrancy to the area without making any serious adjustments in the layout or function.
Simply refreshing the space means bringing in new decor, including cubicle walls, desks, chairs, and updated computers or equipment. Paint the walls, install new carpeting or hard flooring, and resurface cabinetry.
You should consider doing an office refresh every five to ten years depending on your budget and industry. Spaces that entertain guests and clients should present your business as keeping up with the times and with client needs. And as technology changes, your employees need your leadership and assistance to stay up with the best practices.
Refreshing the office takes much less time than most other remodeling work, so it’s an easier call. It doesn’t generally involve structural work and can be done in as little as a weekend.
Renovation
A full renovation takes more effort, expense, and time than a simple cosmetic update. Renovation usually involves stripping the office area down to its walls, removing interior walls and barriers, and creating a new layout from scratch.
Renovation is vital when your space is sufficient in size but no longer meets the needs of your work and can’t be simply adjusted – such as when you need to reduce one department and grow another one or when you want to provide new services.
Unfortunately, a complete renovation is disruptive, which is one of the biggest obstacles that companies must face when deciding whether or not to do it. You generally have two options: do the renovation in sections while occupying different sections in order, or move your staff to temporary quarters entirely.
Replacement
The most serious office area change is a full change to a new space. It will cost the most out of all remodeling possibilities, so it’s the one to take the biggest time deciding, planning, and executing.
Replacing your office is usually be undertaken when you can no longer work with the space you’re already in. This could happen for a variety of reasons, including that your staff has simply outgrown it, adding more people with no reasonable expectation that staff will be lessened. Another good reason is that the space is outdated technologically, and it would cost too much to bring it up to date.
If your office area has reached the end of its useful life and you’re considering a complete move, look beyond your current needs. Consider where you plan to go over the next 10 years. The last thing you want to do is move offices only to have to do it again in three or four years.
Which type of office update is right for your business? If you’re generally satisfied with your space but it looks a little old-fashioned, consider a simple refresh. If you like the space but need it to be better suited to your current needs, you want a renovation. And if you’ve outgrown your original area entirely, you may need to move to a new one.
At Contract Remodeling Services, we can help with whatever stage your business is in. Call today to make an appointment to discuss your particular needs and how we can meet them.
