When looking for an office space in the UK, how quickly you can get it is an important factor. Whether you’re a startup looking to get things going ASAP or an established business who is rapidly expanding, you may need to get into an office as quickly as possible. Here, we discuss how fast you can get an office space, the factors impacting how quickly you can move in, the different options available and tips to speed up the process.
What Factors Influence How Quickly You Can Get an Office Space?
The time it takes to get into an office space will depend on multiple factors such as your company’s requirements, overall budget and location.
Type of office space – the type of office space you’re looking for will impact how long your search will take. For example, offices like serviced offices and coworking spaces are ready to pay and go – these can usually be acquired in around 24 hours. However, if you’re looking for a traditional leased office model, these may require much longer time periods due to fitting out the office and all the contractual and legal processes.
Size and specifications – if you’re looking for a bigger office that’s fitted out with specific facilities and amenities, you may need to wait longer than if you’re looking for a generic office space.
Location – if you’re looking for an office space in a central business district (such as London, Manchester or Birmingham), you are likely to have much more options available including flexible office options. When searching for office spaces in smaller towns or places that are less central, you will probably have fewer available choices and finding an office space could take longer.
Budget – when shopping with a tighter budget, it may be more difficult to find an office space that comes at the right price tag for you. More flexible budgets might make it easier to find something faster.
Legal processes – if you’re taking out a traditional long-term office lease, you may need to wait much longer for processes such as negotiation, leases and licences. Moving into a service office or coworking space is much faster as they have simpler agreements that allow for a fast move.
What Are the Fastest Options for Getting an Office Space in the UK?
If speed is your priority, there are different options available in the UK that can get you an office space quickly.
Serviced Offices
A serviced office comes ready-to-use and fully-furnished, offering a space that’s kitted out for businesses to move in immediately. For any businesses that need to move into office space quickly, serviced offices can be a great option, allowing companies to get started within a few days or sometimes as little as 24 hours.
Serviced offices come fully fitted with internet, utilities, furniture and other services and equipment, making it easy to make an immediate start.
You can usually get started in a service office within 24-48 hours, depending on your requirements. You might look at areas where there is a lot of supply, such as offices in Kentish Town and offices in Soho.
Contracts for serviced offices tend to be flexible, working on a short-term basis. Ranging from one month to a year, these contracts give you the flexibility you need to scale your office solutions.
Coworking Spaces
Like serviced offices, you can usually get immediate access to coworking spaces as soon as you’ve signed up, sometimes able to start work on the very same day.
There is a great deal of flexibility when it comes to coworking memberships – including day passes, dedicated desks, longer-term contracts or hot desking. This means that you can choose a plan that suits your business needs.
Managed Offices
Similar to a serviced office structure, managed offices allow you to customise your office space to suit your business needs, without the long-term commitment of a leased office. They take slightly longer than serviced options but, depending on the office and its availability, could be ready within one to two weeks. The opposite of this is a fully fitted office space.
Managed offices let companies personalise aspects of their office space including the layout and branding.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Traditional Leased Office?
Traditional leased offices offer total control and long-term stability but the process takes far longer. Depending on your needs, securing a traditional leased office could take anywhere from 1-6 months or longer.
Search time: when looking for a leased office, it can take up to weeks or months depending on where you’re looking, the availability and your requirements.
Contracts and negotiation: For leased offices, you will need to allow time for legal processes, negotiations and, if needed, planning permissions. All of these could add additional weeks to the process time.
Office fitting time: If you’re choosing to customise your office, you will need to factor in time for renovations or interior fitting, which could take multiple months.
How to Get an Office Space Faster
If you want to get into an office space quickly, here are some top tips to make the process faster.
Work with a commercial property agent – at Pilcher, we have expert knowledge of local markets to match you with suitable office spaces, handle the negotiation and paperwork and get you into your ideal office space as quickly as possible.
Know what you want – make sure to define your requirements early such as office size, location and facilities. This can streamline your search and help you get what you need.
Explore temporary solutions – if time is of the essence, you could always start with a short-term option, like a serviced office or coworking, before exploring more long-term options.
Be ready to act quickly – the office market, especially in top locations, moves quickly and spaces can be snapped up quickly. Be prepared to act fast whenever you find the right space.