How Much Office Space Does Your Business Need?
This is usually the first question businesses ask before viewing any space, and the honest answer is that generic per-person square footage figures are a starting point, not a real answer. The right number depends on how your team actually works.
Start with headcount, not a blanket per-person rule
Current headcount and a realistic growth projection over the lease term should drive the calculation, not a single industry-average figure. A business planning to grow from 30 to 45 people needs very different space to one expecting to stay flat.
Desk ratios if you're not 1:1
If any hybrid or desk-sharing policy is in place, your desk count can be lower than headcount, but this needs modelling against genuine attendance patterns, not an assumption. Getting the ratio wrong creates either wasted space or a daily scramble for desks.
Meeting rooms, storage and breakout space
Desks are only part of the total. Meeting room provision, storage, breakout and kitchen space all add to the total square footage required, and hybrid working has generally increased meeting room demand relative to desk space, not reduced it.
Getting this right before you start viewing space
Working this out properly before you start viewing properties avoids wasting time on spaces that are the wrong size in either direction. A rough space-planning exercise with a fit out specialist before you brief a broker tends to save time on both sides.
