In today’s world, many individuals have decided that they want to turn old warehouses into work spaces. Throughout the country many new businesses are using this transformation to create a new wave of workspaces in what used to be industrial parts of town. Real Estate is usually cheaper than if you go to a booming tall office building at the heart of downtown in your city. If you’ve recently chosen to take this course of action, now is the time to focus on how you can expedite and optimize the process. Below you’ll find just four of many tips that can help you:
Create A Budget
Your first step towards
transforming an old warehouse into a work environment is creating a budget.
This approach is important because you don’t want to run out of money as you
begin obtaining furniture, knocking walls down, installing carpet, etc. If you can
afford to have a professional assist you with the budget creation process, do
so.
You don’t have to build further out than you want to. The great thing about
these open transformative spaces is that they can grow with you. You can set
them up to fit your current needs knowing there is place to grow. If the space
is too big for you, but the building is a deal you can even expand and rent out
space to another company to help your budget and cut down on real estate costs.
When your company grows and needs all the space you’ll have the finances and
hopefully equity to make bigger remodels.
Hire the Right Contractor
After you’ve created a budget, it’s
time to hire a contractor. This individual can help you with key processes such
as getting rid of old walls, concrete cutting to make windows, finding new carpet, and determining how
specific pieces of office equipment should be situated within the warehouse.
There are several steps you can implement to increase your likelihood of
finding the right contractor. One is going online and carefully reviewing the
contractor’s business website. While on the site, look for key pieces of
information such as what type of educational and experiential credentials the
contractor has. Also see whether the contractor has attained positive or
negative online reviews.
As you do your investigation you can find those who’ve had experience with
commercial work. It will cut costs to go with someone who can see further ahead
and get you where you need to go, while laying the foundation to grow. This way
future construction and remodels will not be so big. Hire someone with the
vision that you have and make sure you ask about their experience making a
proper office space out of an older warehouse or industrial building.
Let the Light In
In addition to hiring the right
contractor, make sure that you let light from the sun into the new work space.
Doing so can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, thereby
empowering individuals to work more efficiently and expediently. If letting
light in is untenable due to the location or structure of the old warehouse,
try to integrate other natural elements into the workspace. For example, obtain
live plants that can survive indoors and place them in the work environment.
Seeing something alive and green can be relaxing and energizing for all
employees.
Many of these industrial building already have giant doors that used to
facilitate trucks getting in and out. These details can add charm to the office
space. You don’t have to pretend they are not there. You can paint them your
branding colors. You can put up a vertical garden wall and make it part of your
business. Whether you make an office or shop out of the space, make sure your
décor goes accordingly.
Many people like the restaurants and shops that were reclaimed factories.
Adding Edison lights, wood, brick and metal elements can help it go from
mismatched to a charming modern store or restaurant.
Make It Personal
One final strategy you should implement to get the most out of your new work environment is making the space personal. Note that in addition to being clean and functional, office spaces should also capture the spirit or identity of your company. As such, including things like the company logo or family pictures in the work space is almost always a good idea.
If it’s time for you to convert an old warehouse into a work space, you should utilize key strategies that help you optimize the process. Refer to the information outlined above to get on track to transforming the warehouse now.
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
