An office renovation provides so many opportunities to enhance and upgrade your business space, and at the same time, bring your office interior design to the next level. At the same time, you’ll need to address a number of challenges while the work is ongoing. The situation can be particularly troublesome for businesses that need a quick renovation and the ones that already occupy a space in need of an upgrade.

If you’re wondering what the potential office renovation issues could be and how to address those, the following guide will give you some practical information.

Downtime

For businesses already using an office space in need of renovation, downtime is the biggest problem. After all, each hour that passes without work being done is costing the company money.

Some kinds of minor renovations can be carried out with limited downtime or no downtime at all. If a more comprehensive upgrade has to take place, however, the office space will become unusable for a certain period of time.

There are several things that can be done to reduce downtime. Working with professional office renovation teams is the best way to come up with a reasonable timeline and stick with it. Simplifying the project is another viable way to bring down the number of renovation days.

Find out if you could offer employees a work at home opportunity or an alternative venue for office operations while the renovation is ongoing. Having such an emergency plan in place will give you peace of mind. Many companies can carry on functioning even if employees aren’t coming together at the office. Chances are that you’ve mastered this approach during Covid-19 lockdowns. That experience can be quite beneficial during an office renovation, as well.

Health and Safety

A renovation idea may seem like the best way to make an office space prettier but is it contributing to a healthier and safer environment for your employees?

Unless you are an office interior design and renovation professional, answering that question would be difficult.

Many business owners focus on aesthetics and branding when renovating. While both of these are very important, the quality of the brand new office environment is even more crucial.

To address health and safety concerns, you have to do thorough office renovation planning before work commences. What are some common challenges of the space? What are some of the biggest health/safety risks and how could you address those?

Having the right contractor for the job will once again be invaluable. Singapore office renovation professionals like the SORDC team understand safety guidelines and workspace health requirements. They’ll help you plan a renovation that complies with all of these and ensures the best possible ambiance for workers, clients and other office visitors.

Going Over Budget

This is a very common occurrence in Singapore. Companies and contractors agree on a certain renovation budget. Eventually, it becomes clear that the respective amount wouldn’t be enough and the business would need to spend much more on the completion of the project.

That situation results in a complete deadlock for the business.

Completing the renovation will cost more than what was originally anticipated. At the same time, not paying will result in a semi-complete office that will be difficult or impossible to use.

To avoid such issues, you should get a detailed quote from a reputable contractor right off the bat.

Good quotes feature labour, the cost of materials and any other expenses that may be incurred during the renovation. The payment terms, milestones and eventual compensations should also be featured into a contract.

A verbal agreement isn’t any good. Having everything in writing will give you security and enable much more effective budgetary planning.

Potential Damage to Office Equipment

Is expensive and bulky equipment already installed in the office? If so, such items would be very difficult to get out for the renovation and put back in when you’re done.

Leaving expensive equipment in the office, however, could potentially lead to costly damages while renovation work is ongoing.

Needless to say, you’ll need to get the right supplies to protect sensitive and expensive office equipment. Covers and padding will usually be sufficient to reduce the risk of breakage or chipping due to falling objects or other potentially damaging activities.

Alternatively, consider doing the renovation in stages and moving equipment around the office to reduce the risk of damage.

Bringing Your Vision to Reality

In your head, your office renovation project looks very concrete and tangible. Bringing that vision to reality, however, often proves to be much more challenging than originally anticipated.

Due to the lack of knowledge or semi-professional renovation attempts, the outcome of renovation will often look mediocre and incomplete.

Bringing your vision to reality, especially if it’s more specific and niche, is once again dependent on selecting the right professionals for the job.

Office renovation experts will do their best to understand your business and the renovation concept you have in mind. Based on a first consultation, they’ll typically produce a 3D visualisation that will give you a better idea about the final outcome.

Understand the fact that trying to do the renovation on your own can ultimately make it costlier and less effective. On top of that, you risk having a brand new office that doesn’t meet your requirements. It’s obviously a pity to spend a lot of money on a renovation that cannot address your needs and create the perfect workspace.

Don’t hesitate to hire an experienced office interior design company for the job if you want to deal with challenges effectively. SORDC has the knowledge and the individual approach bound to give you the outcome you’re looking forward to. Contact us today to schedule your no-obligations first consultation.