The Ultimate Office Fit Out Checklist

Planning an office fit out? Then you are in the right place. In this blog, we’ve got your back with the ultimate fit out checklist. We’ll take you through all the essentials, from pre-fit-out preparations to seamless execution, along with some insider tips and tricks to maximise your investment.

Preparing for Your Office Fit Out

An office fit out is a significant investment in your business journey, requiring careful planning and thoughtful consideration. As you prepare for your office fit out, it’s essential to address a series of important areas:

Defining Your Goals

Every business is unique, and so is every fit out. You’ll likely have a blend of reasons driving your decision, but there are always underlying goals you want to achieve. To make the most of your budget, it’s crucial to pinpoint these specific areas that align with your business and team’s needs. For example:

Optimising Space: Focus on spatial design if you need more efficient space utilisation.

Inspiring Work Environment: Emphasise design elements, art curation and furniture if you aim to refresh your workspace.

Fostering Collaboration: Implement various zones and rooms if you’re aiming to create a more collaborative environment.

Setting Your Budget

Unlimited funds would allow for the most lavish choices, but practicality is key. Budgeting is crucial. At Soul Spaces, we value delivering the highest quality at the best prices. We achieve this by maintaining efficiency, keeping the team lean and collaborating with contractors that we’ve built strong relationships over a decade of partnership. 

Assessing Timelines

Consider your timeline and any constraints. Knowing when you need the fit out completed will help in planning, especially if you have seasonal demands or specific business milestones – on top of your daily responsibilities. 

If the fit out’s timing and workload pose challenges, we would advise you to hire a third-party project manager who can lighten the load. They work closely with you, understanding your business needs and goals, allowing you to focus on your core operations without the added pressure.

Employee Input & Future-Proofing

Involve your employees in the process. They are the ones who will use the space daily, so their insights can provide valuable input into what changes would make the most significant difference. You should also consider how your business may evolve in the coming years, a flexible fit out design can accommodate changes and growth without significant disruptions.

Finding the Right Office Design and Build Partner

Finding the perfect office design and build partner is a crucial step in your fit out journey. With plenty of options out there, our top advice is to engage with a few agencies. Have open conversations, understand their ethos and look for that spark of shared values and vision. 

At Soul Spaces, we thrive on collaborating with businesses that share our values of passion, prioritising people over profit and embracing genuine innovation and creativity. Our commitment lies in truly getting to know our clients, pushing boundaries and delivering a final product that fills them with pride, knowing they made the right choice among countless options (as well not breaking their banks!). 

Why You Need an Office Checklist 

An office fit out checklist will be your roadmap to a cost effective, purpose-driven workspace transformation. It defines your goals, keeps your budget in check, involves your team, maintains a tight schedule, and ensures high-quality results.

The Complete Office Fit Out Checklist ft. Soul Spaces

1. Your Brief

You have defined your goals and objectives, now you need to craft a clear brief that our design and build team can bring to life. During this stage, it’s essential to strike a balance between being ambitiously creative and staying grounded in reality. While you want to push the boundaries to achieve the best possible results, it’s equally important to recognise the constraints of the available space and budget.

2. Setting your Budget

Setting a budget for your office fit out requires various considerations, from procuring office furniture, incorporating greenery and selecting artwork to upgrading IT equipment and arranging additional services like electrical work. No worries, we’re all about efficiency and can introduce you to cost-effective options and sources. 

3. Design, Planning and Zoning

This is where the design journey begins. You’ll receive initial plans and designs and there will be back-and-forth discussions until you are completely happy with the details. Your team’s input, especially at this stage, is invaluable as they will be using the space daily. Planning and zoning are essential because they facilitate seamless communication and physical movement, ultimately contributing to efficient work processes.

Do you have all the design elements, rooms and zones you need?

4. Project Plan

With design, planning and zoning finalised, it’s time to transition to the next step: creating a detailed project plan. This plan will outline all major milestones and serve as the basis for developing a precise timeline for your office fit out. 

5. Furniture

Selecting the right furniture is an essential aspect of the fit out process. The chosen furniture should harmonise with the overall design and also cater to your team’s needs. 

Here’s a little tip from us: Don’t overlook the charm of second-hand furniture – “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”! Our design team is constantly scouting for pre-loved gems that we can repurpose.

We’ve also got some great relationships with local, eco-conscious furniture providers. We’re all about sustainability, so we’re all in when it comes to sourcing top-quality, environmentally-friendly furniture from local businesses. 

We can help you with this, but here’s just some pieces to think of: 

6. Storage

A design aspect that often goes overlooked is storage. A clutter-free space is a productive space. Consider the storage needs of your team and ensure that your office fit out includes suitable solutions for keeping things in order.

7. IT & Technology

Undertaking a fit out gives you the perfect opportunity to have a look at your office’s IT & Technology setup. Staying up-to-date in this area can be a game-changer, your office fit out should be finely tuned to support your IT infrastructure and technological needs, resulting in a well-connected and efficient workspace where business operations flow seamlessly. Staying in tune with the latest tech trends can make a world of difference in optimising your work environment. 

Think; Room Booking Systems, Kiosks, Access (fingerprint, pins, fobs), Wi-Fi.

Curious about how we can help you with your office fit out? Don’t hesitate to reach out, we would love to chat and get to know what you got going on. Get in touch with our team now by clicking here or give us a call on 020 8588 9876.