February 25, 2015 | bartlett
Written by Andrew Mark
Many people are actually quite surprised at the cost of decorating an office, but it is important to remember that this is quite a unique process that needs to be undertaken in a specific way to achieve a particular business outcome. It is also important to note that a customised office is integral to increasing sales, but that downtime can also result in loss of sales. This is why we have compiled a list of 7 ways that you can save money during such a process.
1.Keep it Simple
Whilst undertaking an office overhaul can be quite exciting and there is a huge variety of design ideas available, the truth is that many of these ideas are unrealistic in the Australian market. One of the keys to saving money is to keep it simple; use standardized fixtures and readily available materials.
2.Don’t Over Specify
It is actually a common misconception that having more exact design specifications will make suppliers keen to price. In fact, the opposite is often true – it can actually scare them off because the specifications are more complex to understand and require more time to compute.
3.Minimise Onsite Work
Remember that trades people who work onsite will cost more than those who work in factories. The less site work that is required, the less you will be asked to fork out. Try designing your shop fitout with the least amount of modifications to the existing structure (walls, ceilings, plumbing, etc).
4.Minimise Changes
Trades people often say that the quality of their work can only be as good as the brief they are given. This is certainly true – there is no faster way to add extra cost to your fitout than by changing the specifications part of the way through. Make changes at the planning stage where possible.
5.Get Various Quotes
This might seem like common sense, but lots of people get just a single quote for their shop fitout before proceeding. Obtaining quotes from a handful of suppliers will ensure that you receive competitive responses in a timely manner (just make sure they all believe they have a chance!).
6.Limit Cooks in the Kitchen
Having too many cooks in the kitchen is certainly a recipe for disaster and added costs. Whilst trades people would prefer you to accept their advice (as it is based on years of knowledge), they are ultimately bound to take direction from you, as their client. Try to avoid too many opinions.
7.Realistic Timeframes
Another common cause of additional costs in fitouts is by decreasing the timeframe during the quotation and construction stages. At the beginning of the project, the quote is based on the provided timeframe. Saying that you need work completed sooner will significantly increase the costs.
Now that you are aware of the 7 best ways to reduce costs when undertaking shop fitouts, we hope that you have some ideas of how you can get your project finished on time and within budget. We understand that any fitout is expensive but that shops can also experience losses related to downtime, so it is important that you find ways to save money wherever possible (you never know when that extra cash will come in handy!).
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