A new office is a very exciting addition to your company! Whether it’s your first office or you’re simply moving into a new one, it’s important to know how much office space you need. If you underestimate the space you need, you could end up squished too close together, which could lead to distraction, frustration and irritation with coworkers, and limited privacy to discuss confidential matters. However, if you overestimate the space you need, you may end up with wasted space and employees that are spread out too far to effectively communicate with one another. You don’t have to have an exact number of square feet in mind, but it’s helpful to have a range. Here are a few tips to figure out the amount of space you need.
Take a Headcount
First, determine how many employees are going to be in your office at once. Of course, this might vary from day to day if you have part-time employees or high turnover. Just try to get an approximate idea of how many people will be there on a typical day. It’s generally recommended to budget about 90 square feet per employee for desk space. So if you will have 30 employees in the office at one time, you’ll need approximately 1,850 square feet of office space for desks and workspaces.
Ensure That You Factor In a Conference Room
Almost every office needs a place to meet with clients or hold staff meetings. Depending on how many staff members you have, you might need a large conference room, or a small one might do if you typically meet with people one-on-one. You may even need more than one conference room if your business conducts a lot of meetings. Make sure you factor the square footage needed for a suitable conference room or rooms into your estimate for the office space you need.
How Many Private Offices Do You Need?
Do the bosses and executives in your office have their own offices? If so, that’s another factor that’ll come into play. How much space each person needs for their office will depend on their duties, but the average private office should be around 186 square feet. Try to avoid over-budgeting space for private offices. Though a roomy office is nice, you don’t want to end up overpaying and wasting space in the office that could be used for other things.
Kitchen and Bathroom Space
Again, the amount of space you’ll need for these aspects of your office depends largely on your needs as a business, the size of your company, and your company culture. If you and the other employees spend a lot of time gathered around the water cooler, you might consider allocating more space to the kitchen area. Similarly, a single restroom is probably not going to work exceptionally well for an office of 30 people. A restroom with multiple stalls and a few sinks will likely work better, and that will take up a bit more space.
Consider Your Budget
Your budget should absolutely be a factor in the space you choose. If you calculate that you need 3,000 feet of space but can only afford 2,000, it’s entirely reasonable to make cuts. You can decrease the amount of space budgeted for private offices, put desks closer together than you would otherwise, etc. It’s good to have an idea of the ideal amount of space for your business, but you should also know how to make compromises for the sake of not overspending.
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Contact us for help finding the perfect office space for lease or purchase! Schwarz Properties specializes in commercial and residential property management in Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. We lead the market for industrial and warehouse spaces for lease and our portfolio also includes retail space, restaurant space, residential, office space, and many more. Please contact Schwarz Properties at 336-895-1336 or visit our website.