Reduce the cost of an office refurbishment in London.
Smart strategies to make your London office refurbishment more affordable, without compromising on design, quality or employee satisfaction. At Fusion Office Design, we’re often asked about ways to reduce the cost of an office refurbishment in London, or even whether it’s possible to do a “cheap” office refurb in London without cutting corners. In this article, we suggest eleven actions that can save money on your office refurbishment project, without impacting on the scope of the works. It’s fair to say that construction trades will always provide a cheaper quotation from someone, but as we all know, cheaper is not usually better. Our eleven suggestions of ways to reduce your office refurbishment costs focus on increased value for money, helping you to make smart decisions and stretch your budget further.
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Apples for Apples.
It’s amazing how many times office refurbishment companies try to promote their own space plans and scope of works rather than quoting against a set design. It’s a very hard task to compare quotes when the schemes have differences. The first step to an affordable office refurbishment is to ensure all bidders are sticking to the agreed scheme. Really clued-up buyers even set out a cost template, so the refurb companies are forced into presenting costs in the same format. It’s much easier to compare quotes when they’re directly comparable.
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Detailed Quotes.
The more breakdown you ask for, the more transparent a quote will become. There is a balance to be achieved, as it’s difficult to absorb too much information, so use the quote template to get enough information without overwhelm.
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Purchasing Layers.
Some office refurb companies are looking for an easy life. When they’re handling multiple projects, it gets harder to drill down on purchasing and time is in short supply. Project managers will take the easy route and instead of seeking the best costs, they’ll ladle out the sub-contracts in the most convenient way. This is where costs easily mount up. Let the carpet fitters buy the carpet = added mark-up. Allow the partition fixers to engage a diamond drilling subbie = added mark-up. By the time these duplicate mark-ups translate to the final account, there’s a lot of padding in the quote. Investigate sub-contract arrangements and you’ll find duplicate mark-ups in every project. Some are justified and worth the money. Some aren’t.
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Out of Hours Working.
The equivalent of selling the stripped-out lead pipes. A nice extra earner. Most projects and particularly office refurbishments will have some out of hours working. This could be for noisy and disruptive trades; where power needs to be isolated, or just to fit around your business operations. Most trades expect to have an extra labour rate added for working evenings and weekends. What you shouldn’t be paying is this OOH margin added onto materials. The cable, carpet tile or toilet pan doesn’t cost extra because its being fitted at the weekend. OOH mark-up on materials is one of the choicest hidden extras that the refurb trade use to bump up profits.
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Buy Direct.
At Fusion, we’re not fans of a project being broken up as it usually causes more problems than the savings warrant. However, there will sometimes be items that justify buying direct. White goods are an easy one. Maybe you have a good relationship with a particular trade and can keep that link within the overall project. Don’t overdo it, but there are savings to be had.
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Buy Cheap, Buy Twice.
We know the cheapest won’t be the best, so take advice on the best value rather than lowest cost. A microwave that lasts 2 weeks beyond its 12-month warranty isn’t such a good value decision. Good refurbishment companies help you understand where to save money on your office refurbishment, and where to spend.
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Capex vs. Opex.
As with number 6, consider the overall cost and not just the ticket price. If something is cheaper to buy but has high servicing and maintenance costs, the overall cost of ownership can be higher. Refurbishment companies should have experience to impart on this aspect.
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Re-use and Re-purpose.
It’s easier for the refurb contractor to rip out and install new. There are often overlooked materials, finishes, fittings, which can still be used and retained. Some questioning on this topic will often see a few areas of compromise that won’t spoil the project and count as valuable savings. A good refurb designer will help explore possibilities and add creativity to the re-used items.
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Value Engineering and Logistics.
VE is an area where the refurb company can definitely add value. Ask them for ideas on cost savings as they will always have a few suggestions. Some might be too much accent on money saving and not enough on value, but in general it’s well worth considering alternatives. In fast-paced design and build projects there’s often not an ideal time to ask the VE question. Finding a day or two can be valuable. Likewise on logistics – deliveries, skips and rubbish clearance, labourers – there will always be ways to streamline the movement of materials and reduce the manpower. This is a topic where partnership and cooperation can turn up some worthwhile savings. Maybe the contractor has assumed worst-case and stashed some extra charges which just aren’t necessary. Maybe you’ve got ideas for simplified offloading or rubbish areas, after all you know the building better than anyone. A short discussion often reveals savings to be made.
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Early Planning and a Clear Brief.
One of the biggest causes of unnecessary cost in an office refurbishment is change. Whether this be changes to design, specification, or layout once works have started, every alteration has a ripple effect across trades, procurement, and the schedule. The earlier you lock in decisions, the more control you’ll have over costs. A well-prepared brief and a realistic timeline can reduce the risk of late changes, and the money saved by avoiding mid-project changes is often significant. The finished result will still reflect the quality and detail you want without overspending. A well-planned office refurbishment is the best way to save money on your office fit out without compromising on results.
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Payment Discounts and Upfront Agreements.
Some office refurbishment contractors will offer a reduced overall cost if you agree to advance payments. Paying a significant portion of the project value upfront can improve the contractor’s cash flow, which in turn can lead to better pricing. It’s not about taking unnecessary risk; it’s about negotiating sensible terms that benefit both sides. For example, agreeing to pay for materials once they’re delivered could provide leverage for a discount. It’s worth discussing with your refurbishment company during the negotiation phase, as transparent and well-managed payment terms can translate directly into savings on the total project cost. One caveat…always use due diligence to research the financial health of a refurb company. Look at their accounts and credit rating to check they’re solvent and able to handle the project value in terms of cash flow and balance sheet strength.
This is our top 11 money saving, value orientated ways to reduce the costs of an office refurb in London. Depending upon the complexity of the scheme, there may be more ways to save, and here at Fusion Office Design we’re on your side to identify more ways of defeating the cost monster lurking in every project.
Want to discuss your office refurbishment project?
Contact Fusion Office Design for a no-obligation chat, with no project being too big or too small. We’re here to help with your office refurbishment and keep costs down without cutting corners.
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