Plan ahead
The more time you have to plan, the more opportunities you have to make cost-effective decisions. And once you’ve decided on a reasonable start date, it’ll also help your budget to work to realistic timelines.
Rushing into an interior office fit out could lead to expensive fixes further down the line. Some contractors may also charge a premium if working overtime, after hours or during busy times of the year. Contacting a reputable building maintenance company and finding out what their low season is can stretch your budget significantly. They’ll also be able to help confirm realistic timelines for your project and even provide a free, no-obligation quote!
Plan work for quieter times of year
Contractors have high and low seasons, and matching your timeline to when they’re quieter is one of the best ways to make your money go further. Generally, the low season would be outside of any school, public or festive season holiday.
Reputable contractors will be more than willing to work around your busiest times, and schedule the most disruptive work for after-hours. Find out what you can expect when working with a registered, licensed company on our Fit Out information page.
Ensure your interiors are legally compliant
This may not seem like a cost-saver at first glance, but ensuring your interiors are legally compliant at the end of your office fit out can save you from eye-wateringly expensive litigation.
Confirm with contractors as they present plans, that the finished product will be legally compliant. Reputable companies will only be too happy to set your mind at ease and confirm safe, compliant plans for electrical setups, fire alarms and extinguishers, ergonomic environments, and health and hygiene measures and so on.
While you may be tempted to cut corners to cost-save, remaining legally compliant is a form of quality control and can keep your maintenance and repair (and litigation!) costs down in the long run.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
A green mindset is both planet and budget-friendly. While any interior office fit out will cost its fair share in labour and materials, it’s possible to save on fittings and furnishings with some “upcycling savvy”.
Identify which fittings and furniture could be reused in the new office — even reupholstering or otherwise modifying them could be cheaper than replacing them outright. You can also sell whatever you’re unable to reuse, which could feed some cash back into your coffers. Learn more about planning for both the macro and micro costs in our blog post, Estimating Costs for Your Next Office Fit Out.
Choose one contractor that meets all your needs
The most significant way you can save on your interior office fit out — without compromising on quality — is by contracting with one building maintenance company that’s also a great fit for what you need and how you work.
Multiple contractors can cause delays and overruns, leading to inflated costs and inefficient workflows. Working with a single service provider will ensure the job’s done faster and more efficiently.
Look for a company that can offer a full-set of fit-out skills, so you only have to manage one point of contact. Established companies will also have a trusted supplier network which may get them better prices for materials than individual contractors, as they can buy in bulk more easily. They’re also experienced enough with interior office fit outs to be able to offer a range of alternative solutions that get your desired results in cost-saving ways.
Get expert help and save a buck
A professional building maintenance company may seem more expensive than DIY or hiring a series of single-function teams you manage, but their costs are all-inclusive. And more importantly, they bring a wealth of experience to the project that you can rely on to achieve the best outcomes — a cost-effective, quality interior office fit out.
At First Response we’re always happy to take a look at your site, discuss your needs and come up with a free, no-obligation quote that shares exactly what we’d cost for and why. It’s a good way to confirm you’re making cost-effective decisions at every stage of your interior office fit out. We love providing alternative solutions too, that offer quality fit outs in a more cost-effective way. Contact the team and get a quote today.