Furnishing for the next occupier
Furnishing an office before securing an occupier can help bring the space to life. It gives prospective customers something tangible to view and helps them imagine their team working there.
But what happens when the occupier who takes the space needs a different layout?
That question ran through NORNORM’s recent workshop at GCUC London.
In a small-group discussion, participants shared experiences of buying furniture ahead of demand, storing items they no longer needed and managing the cost of adapting space.
These were observations from the discussion, rather than a survey of the wider market. Together, however, they highlighted a useful commercial question:
How much flexibility does an operator retain after making the initial furnishing decision?
The furniture decision continues beyond the first fit-out
When furnishing ahead of a letting, operators make assumptions about the next occupier:
How many desks they will need?
How they will work and what balance of meeting, collaboration and private space will suit them?
Participants described purchasing furniture for anticipated layouts before those requirements were clear. If an occupier’s needs differ, the operator then has to decide what to retain, replace, move or store.
In some cases discussed, responsibility for sourcing alternative furniture and covering the cost passed to the occupier.
The initial purchase price therefore tells only part of the story.
The practical and financial consequences of changing the setup also deserve attention.
Unused furniture can occupy space that could be earning revenue
Storage was a recurring concern.
Some participants described keeping surplus furniture in available office suites.
That creates a second cost beyond the furniture itself.
A suite used for storage may be harder to present to prospective occupiers and needs to be cleared before it can be occupied.
Furniture bought to make one space marketable can therefore become an obstacle to marketing another.
For operators, this raises a practical question:
When furniture is no longer needed in its current location, is there a clear route for putting it back into use?
Changing requirements can also mean changing the space
The discussion extended beyond desks and chairs.
Participants highlighted rising costs for occupier-specific alterations, particularly internal meeting rooms, with some costs passed on to customers.
There was interest in modular meeting rooms as an option worth exploring. Their suitability will depend on the building and the occupier’s requirements, but the interest reflected a broader concern:
How to accommodate change without treating every new requirement as another substantial fit-out project.
Furniture and layout decisions are closely connected. Both influence how readily an operator can respond when a prospective occupier asks for something different.
Assess the cost of change before committing
A useful starting point is to consider the next change alongside the initial setup:
What happens to furniture if the next occupier needs a different layout?
Who manages and pays for moving, storing or replacing it?
Could surplus furniture affect the availability of another suite?
Which elements of the workspace can be adapted or reused?
Answering these questions early gives operators a fuller view of the furnishing decision. It also helps them compare options on their ability to support future lettings, alongside their upfront cost.
The takeaway from our GCUC discussion was that furnishing decisions deserve to be assessed over time. Creating an attractive office today matters. So does having a workable plan for when tomorrow’s occupier needs something different.
This Thought Leadership content is brought to you by NORNORM
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