Office Fit-Outs - FAQs

OFFICES REFURB does not charge businesses, tenants and landlords for its fit-out provider connection service.

In order to pay our expert team and ensure we continue to operate to our high standards of service, we may sometimes receive a small fee from a fit-out provider as part of the vetting process.

This does not in any way affect who we recommend or maintain on our list of vetted experts, which is always completely independent and impartial, and based on the quality and reputation of the provider.

Having been involved within the fit-out industry for many years, we are delighted to offer an expert brokerage, consultancy and fit-out connection service.

We offer business, landlord and tenant customers the opportunity to be connected with the best fit-out contractors based on the size, location, scope and complexity of their proposed fit-out project.

We know the industry better than anyone which allows us to help support businesses looking to kickstart a new fit-out project. For many businesses, this can be a challenging, expensive and complex field to understand, if they lack prior experience.

We also see first-hand how some businesses are exploited by unethical building companies who use their lack of knowledge to their advantage.

With OFFICES REFURB, we can help guide you through the process and provide best-in-class professionals who we know are highly regarded for their area of expertise. They’ll be able to carry out your fit-out project to your utmost satisfaction and lead you professionally through the entire fit-out project.

Every project needs to undertake a tailored design process. This typically comprises the creation of briefs, concepts and 3D renders to help tenants understand and visualise how the new office space will look and feel.

You’ll be able to view images and videos of your new space to help make it feel tangible.

Once you’ve agreed on the design proposal of your new office space with the design specialists and have signed off on the final programme, you’ll be able to take your plans and turn it into a vibrant office environment through the build services phase.

The time required to complete an office fit-out will be largely dictated by the scope of your project and the complexity of the build involved.

Generally speaking, a period of 4-6 months for most sophisticated office fit-outs is a typical timeframe to have in mind when going into discussions with your fit-out provider. This is of course subject to variation based on a number of factors including the size of your office, location and access to the building.

In addition, for building projects where the fit-out comprises a Cat A structural design and build phase before the Cat B can commence, you’re looking at a extended timeframe to allow for it all to be completed.

The benefits of using a fit-out provider compared to a traditional construction company, is that the build phase is often much quicker due to the detailed planning and approach taken and the preparation carried out in advance of the construction phase.

In short, Cat A is the structural, mechanical and electrical stage of a fit-out project. This is often carried out by a landlord to get the building up to a certain basic standard before a tenant agrees to a lease.

The tenant is typically responsible for fitting out the space to a higher and fuller standard according to its own bespoke preferences and tastes via a design and build contract with a fit-out provider.

This is called Cat B. The aim of a Cat B is to transform the blank canvas, achieved via the Cat A works, into a fully operational and functional office space.

Cat B is the fully operational workplace with all the fixtures and fittings including decorative finishes, décor, floor and ceiling finishes and lighting all focused around the brand and identify of the business occupant.

There are 3 main stages involved in an office fit-out project:

1. Design
2. Build
3. Furniture & Occupation

It’s worth pointing out that finding and appointing a fit-out company to carry out the project is one of the most difficult and time-consuming tasks. It can often take between 6-8 weeks to select a contactor.  OFFICES REFURB helps to reduce this period considerably by providing each customer with an expert shortlist of the best fit-out providers for each given project.

A sensible timeframe to allocate from start to finish for the project once the fit-out company is chosen would be 4-6 months. This includes:

• Design and planning of new office space (1-2 months)
• New furniture review and order placement (1 month)
• Build and construction phase
• New furniture installation including IT set-up
• Relocation (if relevant) and occupation (1 week)

This depends on whether you do works to an existing occupied office space or carry out a fit-out to an unoccupied building.

If works are carried out to an existing office space, then it’s imperative that the timeframe and scheduling of the works is methodically considered and planned.

We typically recommend fit-out companies who will work around you and your business operations. That means they will schedule the build phase on evenings and weekends in order to reduce any disruption to your day to day business. Taking this approach may extend the time needed to complete the project and increase the costs slightly, but it may be worth it overall.

Sometimes the works required as part of a fit-out are so substantial or structural in nature that there is no other option except for staff to relocate to a different office or work from home for the duration of those works. Our fit-out providers will be able to guide you through the options.

The cost of an office refurbishment in the UK is dependent on a range of factors, in particular:

• The scale and complexity of your fit-out project
• The size of your office
• The location of your office

Whilst these factors will help to determine the overall costs you’ll have to pay for the fit-out project, we have provided a range of build, furniture and dilapidations costs you should also expect to be included.

OFFICES REFURB is a one-stop-shop for all things ft-out related. We use our expert knowledge across the fit-out space to deliver a whole range of ancillary services, free for our customers.

Our service covers the following areas for our customers as an added free service:

• Best Fit-out companies – We recommend and introduce customers to the 3 best fit-out contractors for each given fit-out project based on their location in the UK
• Best Fit-out property lawyers – We recommend and introduce customers to the 3 best fit-out property lawyers so they can help to protect them contractually and legally when it comes to drafting and finalising the fit-out contract (in case something unexpectedly goes wrong).
• Best serviced office spaces – We recommend and introduce customers to the best serviced office spaces across the UK if they are interested in taking a more flexible approach to their commercial office search requirements
• Best commercial premises – We recommend and introduce customers to the best commercial premises based on their ideal location in the UK for a traditional lease.

We’d here to support customers with any stage of the process.