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- Types of Office Space Rental Rates
- Calculating Office Space Rent
- Tenant Representation FAQ's
- How to Find the Right Office Furnishings
- How Much Office Space Does Your Business Need?
- What does Base Year mean in an Office Lease?
- The Case for Tenant Representation
- Should Building Repairs be Included in Operating Expenses?
- When to Start Your Search for Office Space
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Our best-selling commercial real estate books and software have helped thousands of companies make the right move.
Don’t become an office relocation statistic…
“On average, two-thirds of employees who are given the task of managing an office move either quit or get fired within six months of that office move.”
Source: International Facility Management Association – Office Move Edition
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How Much Office Space Does Your Business Need?
How Much Office Space Does Your Business Need?
Determining how much office space square footage your business requires is an essential aspect of the office move process. There are several different methods to calculate this; the simplest is to base your office space square footage requirement on the number of employees in your office.
Experts estimate that you need 200 to 250 square feet of office space per employee. You may require even more room if you have significant storage needs or if your business requires large amounts of open office space. Calculating your square footage needs at both 200 square feet per employee and 250 square feet per employee is an effective way to determine your office space square footage range.
For example, if your firm has 27 employees: 27 at 200 square feet per person equals 5,400 square feet of office space. Next, multiply 27 by 250 square feet to get 6,750 square feet of office space. You now know that your ideal office space will be somewhere in the range of 5,400 square feet to 6,750 square feet. Keep in mind, this range gives enough room for the individual employees and adds a buffer for corridors, conference rooms and work areas.
If your business requires the use of additional equipment, or offices that are significantly larger than usual; you will want to increase the amount of square footage for your office space search. Conversely, if you run a call center that utilizes small cubicles, you may be able to get by with less square footage than is considered typical. Very dense call centers can often get by with 150 square feet per employee or even less.
Determining how much office space square footage your business requires is an essential aspect of the office move process. There are several different methods to calculate this; the simplest is to base your office space square footage requirement on the number of employees in your office.Experts estimate that you need 200 to 250 square feet of office space per employee. You may require even more room if you have significant storage needs or if your business requires large amounts of open office space. Calculating your square footage needs at both 200 square feet per employee and 250 square feet per employee is an effective way to determine your office space square footage range.
For example, if your firm has 27 employees: 27 at 200 square feet per person equals 5,400 square feet of office space. Next, multiply 27 by 250 square feet to get 6,750 square feet of office space. You now know that your ideal office space will be somewhere in the range of 5,400 square feet to 6,750 square feet. Keep in mind, this range gives enough room for the individual employees and adds a buffer for corridors, conference rooms and work areas.
If your business requires the use of additional equipment, or offices that are significantly larger than usual; you will want to increase the amount of square footage for your office space search. Conversely, if you run a call center that utilizes small cubicles, you may be able to get by with less square footage than is considered typical. Very dense call centers can often get by with 150 square feet per employee or even less.
When to Start Your Search for Office Space
Many of the business people I talk with wonder when they should begin their search for office space. Is a year out too early? Is a month out too late? The answer is typically somewhere in between.
Lease negotiation delays, design, permitting and construction setbacks, are just some of the reasons why it is important to begin your search for office space early. The biggest risk in waiting too long to start your search is that you end up limiting your options.
I recommend the following timing for starting your office search:
Space Size in SF Timing
1,000 - 2,000 2-3 Months
2,001 - 5,000 3-6 Months
5,001 - 10,000 4-9 Months
10,001 - 15,000 6-10 Months
15,001 – 25,000 10-12 Months
25,001 + 12+ Months
Keep in mind, if you intend to have a facility custom-built, or if you anticipate significant remodeling of an existing location, additional time may be required. Conversely, if you are a small-user and think you might be able to lease space on an as-is basis, you may be able to complete the leasing process in less time.
Most importantly, the less time you leave for your office search, the more you may find yourself compromising. Start your planning process early, at least six months to a year in advance. Beginning to look for your ideal space with time to spare will almost always result in financial savings and an office that fits your needs to a T.