When you move into a brand new office space, it can be daunting when thinking about how to kit it out. The process of choosing and negotiating on a new office can be stressful enough so it often comes as a shock when businesses realise how much more there is to do once they move in.
Whether you’ve decided to go for an unfurnished or fully furnished office space, there are so many considerations and decisions to make to ensure that the new space is a pleasant environment and feels like you’re own. But if you’re starting from scratch, it can often become very expensive so we’ve pulled together some of our tips on how to kit out your new office on the cheap.
Regardless of whether you have a small or a large budget, it is always good to get some bargains when kitting out your new office. It will help reduce the overall cost, allowing you to splash out on a few additional pieces of artwork or you could spend the savings on an amazing move-in party.
- Types and frequencies of meetings
- Noise and acoustics
- Natural light (natural daylight - putting desks near windows saves on lighting costs)
- Gatherings for informal meetings
- Arrival experience
- Storage requirements
- Privacy requirements
- Eating areas (and smells!)
- ‘Fun’ areas
SImply putting workstations near natural light will make a big difference by ensuring staff have access to plenty of light for the majority of the time they spend in the office. However, sometimes bright light from outside can cause glare and strain people’s eyes and so it can be beneficial to diffuse that light with window frosting (you can buy inexpensive stick-on film) or diffuser screens.
Taking advantage of natural light in your office can also help save on lighting costs. Rather than having ceiling lights on all day, make use of the sun to bring down your office bills.
It’s also worth thinking about how light travels through the office space. Avoid blocking light with partitions and be strategic with your placement of large furniture to ensure natural light can spread throughout the space. You can even use mirrors or reflective surfaces to bounce light around rooms.
Thinking about how to break up spaces? Bookcases can be a good way to divide up areas within the office instead of building costly walls or meeting rooms. They are also more decorative and allow you to start a book-sharing scheme to keep your staff well-read.
Also, remember, that furniture can be used for multiple purposes. It’s helpful to get furniture that can fold away and be used in different ways, for example, tables that can be broken up and hung on the walls.
Once you have thought about all of the above, make a list of all the items you need to buy. You can always delegate purchases to other team members to make them feel more involved.
If you are looking for a new office to kit out then let us know. The Tally Market team can help you find a new space for your team to call home. Drop us an email - [email protected].