How do I choose the right office space?

Choosing a new office isn’t something you do every day, and thank goodness! The process can get pretty complicated, pretty quickly (even more so if you’re also trying to keep on top of your day-to-day tasks), and many clients come to us feeling overwhelmed before they’ve even begun their search.

With dozens of property listings to scroll through, a load of jargon to decode, and mounting pressure to make the ‘right’ call, it’s no wonder choosing the right space for your team can feel like a full-time job in itself.

The good news is that we’ve helped countless businesses — from budding startups to multinational corporations — find offices that reflect who they are and how they work, and we’re here to do the same for you.

Looking for a new office space? There’s no need to go it alone. Start by finding yourself an office broker/tenant rep. They’ll know the industry like the back of their hand, and they’ll have a whole host of contacts to boot. They’ll understand the current market, and they’ll spot any red flags early on, so you can avoid going to view spaces that won’t work for your team or your budget. A good agent will take your brief and translate it into a focused property search. In doing so, they’ll save you a lot of time and a lot of effort.

But the value of an office broker doesn’t stop there. They’ll also be your sounding board throughout the search process, and can help you compare spaces objectively. This can involve anything from weighing up the pros and cons of different office types (the main three being serviced, managed, and leased) to checking whether a landlord’s claims hold up under scrutiny.

When it comes to negotiations, you’ll want someone with experience on your team who knows what’s what — what’s reasonable, what’s disputable, and what’s a dealbreaker.

Once your office broker/tenant rep has an understanding of your business needs and wants — non-negotiables and nice-to-haves, your ideal location, number of desks, and layout — they’ll put together a list of properties worth going to view.

This is where things start to feel real. You’ll get to see the variety of office spaces available (often including some off-market options known only to brokers) and you can start thinking about how they measure up to each other — and to your wish list.

We’re always careful to make sure the spaces we suggest are well within your budget, so you don’t have the added stress of choosing between your ‘dream’ space and one that doesn’t break the bank.

It’s easy to be swayed by good-looking spaces or big-name addresses (think Canary Wharf, Oxford Street, and Mayfair), but don’t lose focus. Keep in mind the following:

• Does the space support the way your team works? (in terms of accessibility, facilities, and IT setup, for example)
• Does it reflect your brand and culture?
• Is there sufficient parking space for your team? What about public transport?

Photos and videos can only show you so much. Once you’ve got a shortlist, it’s time to see the spaces in person. This is your chance to get a feel for the building, the area, the commute, and to spot anything the listing might not have mentioned (good and bad). We’ll come to viewings with you, helping you make important decisions along the way. At this stage, we’ll need to think critically. It’s no longer just a case of ‘do you reckon we could fit 30 desks in here?’. Now, it’s about considering the space as a would-be hub of productivity. Can you imagine it fitted out? Is this somewhere you could genuinely see your team wanting to work in?

Here’s where things can get murky. A space might look affordable on paper, but once you add in business rates, service charges, fit out costs, IT infrastructure, and legal fees, the numbers can soon balloon. It’s our job to break down the total cost of each option, so you know where you stand, and you’re comparing apples to apples, not just headline rents. We’ll also flag any potential hidden costs — maybe the space needs a full rewire, or the air conditioning’s due for replacement. Getting this clarity early on can prevent expensive surprises down the line.

This is where space plans come in. These are simple layout sketches that show how your team could be arranged within a space, including desks, meeting rooms, breakout zones, kitchens, and anything else you might need. Some spaces look perfect until you realise there’s a load-bearing wall right through the middle, or that the open-plan layout leaves no room for quiet focus, so this step is a particularly important one.

By now, you’ve walked the spaces, crunched the numbers, and mapped out what could go where. It’s decision time. We like to say ‘go with your head, but don’t ignore your gut’. An office could look great on paper, but if something feels off — the area’s too quiet, the layout isn’t quite right, or the landlord seems tricky to deal with — it’s okay to trust that instinct.

Once you’ve chosen your favourite office space (or you’ve decided on a first and second choice), your broker will handle the offer and negotiation process. This will involve proposing heads of terms — the key commercial details like rent, lease length, rent-free periods, break clauses, and dilapidations responsibilities.

In summary…

Choosing your next office is a big decision. It affects your people, your productivity, your brand, and your growth. Done well, it can open the door to new energy, fresh ideas, and better ways of working. Done poorly, it can mean money wasted and a lacklustre space.

Thinking about a move?

Get in touch, give us a call on 020 8588 9876, or drop Head of Search Tomal a line tomal@soulspaces.london.