Planning an office
relocation in Perth.

1. Before you sign the new lease

• Walk the new space with your builder, not only the agent. Base-building condition, services, ceilings and floor loadings all change what a fitout costs
• Read the make-good clause on the lease you are leaving, so the cost of exiting is in the budget from day one
• Check what the landlord provides, including any base-building works or fitout contribution, and what is yours to build

2. Brief and budget

Write down headcount now and in three years, how your teams work, meeting and boardroom needs, storage, comms and any special rooms. A builder can turn that brief into a layout and an honest budget range. Our office fitout cost guide sets out per square metre ranges and has a calculator that works for whole floors.

3. Design and approvals

Layouts, finishes and services are designed and documented, then submitted to the building owner and, where needed, council and certifiers. This is the stage where time is usually lost, so make decisions quickly and in one place. Under design and construct, one builder runs the design and the approvals under one contract.

4. Construction

The build is programmed backwards from the move date, and long-lead items such as joinery, glazing and furniture are ordered early. Ask for a written program with the move date on it, and for the name of the person accountable for holding it.

5. Technology, furniture and the move

• Data, phones and meeting room technology installed and tested before the move, not on the day
• Furniture delivered and installed once construction is finished
• A move plan by team, so the business keeps running through the change

6. The make-good at the old office

The tenancy you are leaving usually has to be returned to the condition the lease specifies, with the work documented for the landlord. Programming the defit and make-good alongside the new fitout keeps both ends of the move on one timeline.

How long does an office relocation take?

It depends on the size and condition of the new space, how quickly decisions are made and how long approvals take. A single tenancy and a multi-floor head office are very different programs. The reliable answer is a written program from your builder after a site walk-through.

Moving a whole organisation? See corporate office fitouts for how DesignFit runs head office moves, the Solstad Farstad head office for an example, or request a consultation.