Should you refurbish or relocate your office?
Neither option is automatically cheaper or easier. Refurbishment can unlock performance in a building you already know; relocation can fix location, layout, or lease terms your current footprint cannot offer. The decision should rest on a structured comparison — not momentum or a single attractive rent figure.
Here is a practical framework for UK occupiers weighing stay and refurbish against move.
Start with the building: can it do what you need?
Assess services capacity, core hours, access, natural light, column grid, and whether the landlord will support the interventions you need. If the constraint is fundamental — wrong location for talent, unsafe services headroom for your density — refurbishment has a ceiling.
If the space is basically right but tired, or your lease has useful term, staying often wins on total disruption and speed.
Compare total cost, not only fit out price
Include dilapidations on exit, overlap rent, moving and IT migration, recruitment impact, and lost productivity. A move spreads cost across categories refurbishment avoids — but introduces others. Model five-year total cost of occupancy, not a single capex line.
People, clients, and brand
Location affects recruitment and client perception. If your strategy needs you elsewhere, that can outweigh capital savings on a refurb. Be explicit about non-financial criteria — otherwise spreadsheets give false precision.
Programme and business continuity
Phased refurbishment can keep teams operating on site; moves often need sharper cutover planning. Neither is painless — they distribute disruption differently. Choose based on operational reality, not optimism.
When to bring in a workplace and fit out team
Early advice on test-fits, landlord engagement, and realistic budgets prevents false choices. If you want an independent view on stay vs go — and what each path costs to deliver — start with a conversation grounded in your brief, not a generic benchmark.
