There comes a time in every business life that a renovation is needed.
Maybe your building needs new wiring? Perhaps you need to update the aesthetics of your building, either by switching out the windows or repairing the roof? In any case, a renovation can give your office space a new, fresh, and vibrant space so that it will look and feel comfortable.
So this may be the best time to take a look at your office space and give it a new, comfortable feel so that when your workforce returns to the office, they will have a more comfortable work environment greeting them.
Here are some projects that you should consider launching while your workforce is at home.
Have A Vision For Your Office Renovation Project
Visualize with your project designer how you want to redesign your office, from the type of environment that you want your employees to feel comfortable in, to finding the perfect contractor that can take on the job. Part of the renovation process is deciding just how big you want it to be.
Are you looking for a simple refresher that will cause little disruption to your office? Or, are you ready to go big and do a complete overhaul of your space? If the majority of your workers are working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this could be a great time to embark on a full-scale renovation since it will cause little disruption, and you’ll have the time to get it done.
Create A Schedule For Your Renovation
Before giving the green light to your office renovation, you will need to make a schedule to ensure a smooth and sound process.
Whether you’re planning a minor refresh of your building or doing a full-scale re-do, have a schedule of when the renovation should be done and in what phases the renovation should be accomplished. Doing this will prevent the project from being late, leading to cost overruns. Those overruns are something your office can’t afford right now, so keep your renovation project on a tight schedule.
Think About The Winter
If your office is in a cold climate, you will have to think about the weather before you launch into a renovation.
Areas with heavy snowfall can impact the timetable for getting your renovation done, which is yet another reason why you should make out a schedule to determine how the renovation will go. With most of your workforce working from home, you should have the time to allow for the renovation (or refresher) to get through the harsh winter months without much delay. However, those snowstorms can put a monkey wrench into your renovation schedule, so make sure that fact is included in your schedule and calendar.
Plan Out Your Space With Thoughtfully
Visualize what you want your office space to resemble and use that space effectively.
Office renovation projects often get bogged down due to not effectively planning their space. Make sure your office space is accommodating any issues that arise during the construction process, and also plan to have additional space so that your supplies and important documents can be stored and kept safe.
Go Green With Your Renovation Project
Many offices today are deciding to make their office space friendlier to the environment, which should factor into your office renovation plans.
There are a ton of ways in which your office can “go green” without having to sacrifice a large chunk of your budget. Design and add in lighting and other technology that focuses on saving money rather than be a drain on the power grid. Make sure that the contractor working on the project are using sustainable materials that are easy on the environment.
There is another cost advantage of going green. Many state and local governments offer tax incentives for making your office environment-friendly.
Make Sure Your Plans Are Communicated Clearly
With any big project, you’re going to want to make sure that your plans are communicated clearly to everyone involved with the renovation project.
You should communicate your plans to three groups of people: The employees, the customers, and the suppliers.
For the employees, you should communicate how long the renovation project is going to last and what they should do during it. For suppliers and customers, make sure that you’re providing timely updates to your plans and give updates for the renovation project when they become available. Doing this will give customers and suppliers a chance to adjust.
Roofing Repair And Replacement
Before you embark on a costly renovation of your office space, you should make sure that your roofing is sound and functional.
Get in contact with a roofing company that can come out and look at your roof to see if there is any damage sustained to it so that the contractor can make the roof repair needed to get your roof on a sound footing.
You can’t have an office space without a sound roof. Your roofing needs should come first and foremost before launching into the meat-and-potatoes of your office renovation.
Replace The Windows
If your office feels a bit dark and drab, a renovation is a perfect time to rectify this issue, and that starts with replacing the windows.
Having better windows will allow natural light to flow into your office space, which will make your office more comfy and homey when your workers return from the stint of working from home.
Make Sure to Have A Designated Recycling Area
Offices all over the country are rethinking their environmental practices and are making steps toward being friendlier to the Earth.
During your office renovation, have your trash removal services designate a recycling area that’ll encourage your workers to recycle more than tossing their discarded items into the trash. Of course, you should sort out your recycling area by types of garbage such as plastic, but the result will be an office environment that will be more mindful of the environment surrounding you.
Add In New EnergyStar Heating And Cooling Units
Of course, during your office renovation, you will want to replace your existing heating and cooling unit.
It doesn’t get any better than an EnergyStar heating and cooling unit, which will keep your building heated and cooled off while saving on your utility costs. A unit that you should install in your newly renovated office is circulation heaters, which can circulate the heat in your building and add up to utility savings.
An advantage of having an EnergyStar heating and cooling unit is that it would be easy for you to building the maintenance team to make HVAC repairs to the system.
Install A Tankless Water Heater
For offices that sit in climates that are cold and harsh, this could be a savior for your office renovation project.
A Tankless water heater is a type of water heater that can flow through a device and not retain water. This type of water heater can produce a continuous flow of hot water and can add up to savings on your utility bill. Make sure you have a plumbing contractor that specializes in tankless water heaters install them as part of your office renovation.
Make Good Use Of Cost-Effective Materials
When you’re designing your office renovation project, it’s important to remember to control your costs.
That’s why you should make use of cost-effective materials, which will not only optimize the resources that you already have available but will also add up in savings for your company. Yes, you will want to make your renovation project stand out from the rest, but you have to remember to find that sweet spot between being grand and being budget-minded.
Believe it or not, you don’t have to sacrifice elegance for the sake of saving money. Create a design that will utilize the best of your space. It will require you to be creative, which is an added plus to your office renovation.
Install A Cooling Installation For Your Server Room
Your company will work with computers and servers to get your company’s job done, so you have to find a way to keep them cool at all times of the day.
Servers can overheat, and most systems come with the option of shutting down to cool off. This type of shutdown can easily lead to lost productivity, which is why your office needs a server room so that your servers can stay cool and keep them humming all workday long. Also, you may want to invest in server hosting, which will give you optimal performance and maximize the control of your tech environment, further reducing the risk of your servers overheating and shutting down unexpectedly.
Remodel Your Lobby
The lobby is the first place customers and suppliers see when they enter your office.
Think of a lobby as a gateway to your business. You don’t want your gateway to be looking drab, do you? Bring a homey and elegant touch to your lobby so that it will be inviting and welcoming. Maybe switch up your paint scheme or buy a Persian rug. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that you’re lobby is presented in a way that will pave the way for customers and supplier to come back and give you their business.
Pick Out Some Comfortable Furniture
A big part of doing a renovation job is picking out brand new furniture for the office.
Maybe your old furniture has outlived its useful lifespan and has ceased being comfortable. Pick out office furniture that will not only be comfortable but will be durable for a long time. Don’t go with couches and loveseats, unless you have regular large groups of people visiting your office. Instead, go with single chains created out of a certain type of wood or fabric. Heck, go crazy and combine the two.
Oh, and do not go with leather seats. Although they look comfortable, leather seats can become soft and worn out due to frequent use.
Don’t Overwhelm The Renovation Process
Embarking on an office renovation project can be stressful.
Sure, you will want to post every single date, every thank you letter or, every picture of how the renovation is going, but you have to consider what is the appropriate amount you should share of your renovation. Don’t overwhelm your customer and employees, and instead, trickle out bits-and-pieces of the renovation process so that they will know what’s going on but also keep a shroud of mystery surrounding the project so that it will be a pleasant surprise.
Embarking on an office renovation can give your business a fresh update on the working environment. Yes, it may sound crazy to think of doing a renovation when your business is trying to save money, not spend it.
As we explained earlier, however, doing a renovation, even if it’s a minor refresh, can reinvigorate your office space; and while most of your workforce is home, this may be the best time to do one. You will have minimal disruption and time to do the renovation as a mass amount of workers may not return to the office until 2021.
These are strange times indeed, but it also presents an opportunity for your company to think outside of the box and recreate the office that you have always wanted. All you need is a plan, a design, and a great contractor to make those office designs become a reality. When you finally give the green light, make sure that the renovation is kept to a tight schedule so you won’t incur cost overruns, and keep everyone in the loop regarding the project without overwhelming them.
Now is the time to create the office that you and your employees deserve.