Whether a result of growth or because your business needs a more modern look, there will come a time when your office needs renovations or build outs. Rather than treating the idea of construction as a burden, view the changes as a positive affirmation that you’re achieving and surpassing your business goals. The need forbuild out construction means your business has progressed enough to make the current style and layout obsolete.

Once you decide to start building out or refurbishing your office space, you’ll need to find the contractor that is right for you. A good contractor will bring your renovation dreams to life, and make sure that things stay within budget and stick to the deadline. As one of the nation’s leading retail build out companies, the National Maintenance and Build Out Company (NMBOC) is committed to providing every client with the quality craftsmanship and attention to detail that their project deserves. Wetake a Customer-Centric Approach to providing complete retail build out services and will tailor the project to your unique job site needs and requirements.

Our team of highly-qualified professionals recommend that you also consider the following when preparing for an office renovation:

Ask Questions: Before you start demolition on your old office space, ask yourself why you want to start the construction phase. Why are you renovating – Will you have more room for client interactions? Will you have more room for new employees? Do you need more room for retail sales? This brainstorming phase will make sure everyone is on the same page regarding the renovation and will help you get the most practical use out of your renovation.

Think About Your Budget: This phase will include a breakdown of your entire financial logistics and will give you an idea of where you can hold back if needed.

Capitalize on Your Building’s Strengths: Think about the features that made the building attractive when you first chose it. Does it have great views, open areas, needed offices? Determine which of these features should be saved, and prioritize those that need to be updated or expanded.

Enhance the Property’s Curb Appeal: First impressions are crucial for a business and the salability of its products or services. Consider the landscaping, esthetic appeal, and parking areas as much as you would consider the changes to the bathrooms, lobby, offices and retail spaces.

Make Sustainability Part of the Process: By putting green features on your list, like installing a programmable thermostat and adding low-flow toilets and automatic faucets in the restroom, you can easily save 20 to 30 percent on your annual energy costs.

When looking for a new commercial space, you are likely to hear the term “vanilla box” frequently used, especially in new construction. The term refers to a commercial building that has a minimally finished interior. While these spaces are very alluring because they can be customized to fit your business’s exact needs, they are not without limits. Before you dive in head first at the thought of your landlord contributing to your improvement, our build out construction professionals at NMBOC have explained what you should know about these vanilla boxes.

The interior of a vanilla box is essentially just the shell of a building with a ceiling, walls, concrete floor, lighting, outlets, plumbing, and HVAC. While the space is far from being ready for business operations, it is considered ready for lease. The lease contracts will include a detailed list of agreed upon improvements that are to be made by the tenant and must be done before you can claim occupancy.

The agreement should specify the exact degree of construction that needs to be done to fulfill the terms. It is important to understand that you may have a different interpretation of the contract than your landlord, which is why you should have all of the details flushed out. Before going forward with the contract, you may want to have a real estate attorney review the agreement to avoid any potential lawsuits.

While you are expected to make improvements, the landlord will offer a tenant improvement allowance to help offset the costs. These stipends do not cover furniture or other fixtures related to the nature of the business. The improvements are those considered necessary to transform the building from a shell to a workable space. Typically, the improvements are not started until the agreement has been finalized to ensure the landlord does not pay for any unnecessary or unwanted work.

While working out all of the details of the contract, you should also reach out to build out companies to determine the cost of the required improvements. Once you have finalized the paperwork and have a firm understanding of the improvements that you need to make, our team at NMBOC can help you make all of the necessary upgrades. Along with ensuring you meet all of the lease’s specifications, we can also perform all of the construction needed for you to open your business.

As your business continues to grow, the area you once thought would never be filled becomes increasingly cramped with employees and customers. While you could move to a bigger location somewhere else, it may result in the loss of valued customers and stall the continued growth of your company. A safer option would be to build out your space, giving your company enough room to grow throughout the years. Along with increasing space, there are other benefits to expanding the size of your building.

Savings: Some are leery to build out their store or office as they feel that they will not be able to get a good return on their investment. However, there are a variety of ways that new construction can ultimately make your money back. Many of the materials we use at National Maintenance and Build Out Company come in energy efficient options, such as the doors and windows. The newer materials will provide better insulation and help cut back on heating and cooling bills. It also eliminates the need to move all of your equipment and products to a new location, which would involve hiring a moving service and potentially requiring you to close to set up the area.

Productivity: The additional space will allow you to optimize the layout of your store or office to increase productivity and traffic flow. For retail shops, it can create an easier flow through the aisles, increasing your turnover rate by allowing them to do more shopping in less time. If you are expanding an office, these changes can lead a noticeable boost in your employees’ productivity. By opening up the space, your employees will be able to better communicate with each other, cutting back on time that is wasted walking through a maze of desks.

Branding: Increasing the exterior’s surface area provides you with more space to advertise your company and attract new customers. Whether you place a large company logo or display windows, you can create a space that catches the eye and inspires those passing by to visit your business. It also provides you with more room in the store to further promote the brand with the addition of company colors and logo on the new wall space.

By increasing the size of your current location, you will also save yourself the hassle of finding a new building that suits your needs. If you are afraid that building out your store or office may be too expensive, we offer Value-Engineered Options that are designed to save you 10-15% on the job.