With so many people heading back into the office in Melbourne, it’s important to make the most of your workspace. If you work in the corporate world or a more relaxed office environment, then you know that office spaces are oftentimes tight and cluttered. With so many people working in such a small area, you often need to get creative and think outside the box for your office makeovers. There are two main ways to do this – by office fitouts or office refurbishments. So, what do they mean and what’s the best option for you?
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each:
What Are Office Fitouts?
Office fitouts often involve extending your workspace and creating multiple work areas for teams to work in. These fitout changes are more of a complete change, oftentimes changing the layout and actual flow of the office compared to a refurbishment. This type of renovation is great for Melbourne-based companies who need to share an office and want to create a free-flowing and collaborative environment. You can break up different teams by building adaptable rooms with glass walls, dividers, and temporary flooring so everyone’s ideas are welcome.
A fitout can also be a branded project, such as a car dealership needing consistent colours and signage or a commercial office that needs everything to be fitted out to a certain style. One of Melbourne’s best office fitout companies Vision Corporate Interiors collaborates with their clients on every step of the process, from a custom-designed plan to the finished renovation. This is one of the biggest advantages of choosing a fitout as opposed to a refurbishment.
What Are Office Refurbishments?
Office refurbishments give you the chance to makeover your entire space from top to bottom. However, it won’t be as flexible or fluid as an office fitout because you’ll likely have fixed desks, fixed layouts, fixed structures etc. The upside is that you get complete control over what changes are made – whether it’s ripping out built-in storage or installing new flooring.
Office refurbishments are great for companies who don’t need their space to be flexible or changeable (i.e., they don’t share it with anyone).
What Is The Difference Between An Office Fitout And Refurbishment?
An office refurbishment is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It’s all about giving your office a facelift with new carpets, paint, furniture, and technology to match the current trends. An office fitout, on the other hand, goes beyond this. This option involves completely customising your space so that you can work more efficiently and get creative with your design ideas.
Refurbishments Pros
You can do them at your own pace. An office refurbishment gives you the chance to work on one area at a time (e.g., flooring, furniture, décor, etc.)
Refurbishments are less disruptive because they don’t require construction or renovation work beyond what you can DIY or hire individual tradespeople for. Refurbishments only involve the necessary trades (tiling, carpentry, painting, etc.) and not contractors with specialised equipment and teams needed fitting out purposes. Refurbishment areas remain usable while being worked on so you can get your money’s worth from them before upgrading.
Office Fitout Pros
Office fitouts are designed to improve the appearance and functionality of an office, whereas refurbishments are designed to update or repair existing offices. They are more likely to keep the same layout, use existing walls where possible and avoid any complex installations. This means you’re doing more of a makeover when doing a refurb, not actually fitting out a space to make it yours.
A refurbishment gives you less flexibility around how you set up your office, whereas a fitout lets you choose where furniture or other equipment will go before it is moved into the office space, allowing for greater control over the design of your office area. It allows you to plan out and establish a new environment with the allocated space you have.
Office refurbishments and fitouts are two great ways to update your Melbourne office space, but they offer different benefits. If you’re looking for a more complete overhaul of your office with customised features and layouts, go for an office fitout. If you’re looking for something that’s less disruptive and can be done at your own pace, go for a refurbishment. Whichever route you choose, make sure to consult with an expert to get the most out of your renovation.
