Tips for companies looking to rent an office
The offer on the real estate market is extremely varied: you can rent office space for $ 3 / sqm/month, but also $ 22 / sqm/month. Choosing a new location is becoming more straightforward because the supply of spaces is diversifying and growing from day to day.
The blocks of flats are becoming more and more obsolete, more and more tenants are moving to old, renovated villas, located in historic areas or to new office buildings with many facilities (telephone services, IT, permanent security, etc.). Also, specialized real estate agencies offer advice and consulting for those who want to find the perfect location. Esop has even published a free guide for small and medium-sized companies.
“Well-proportioned and functional spaces are the natural requirement of every company,” says Mirela Manea, marketing director of the Esop agency in Bucharest. The extent to which the company manager establishes his selection criteria is another issue. First of all, it starts with the budget, from the size of the bank account, and then weighs how well it is divided and how functional the office is.
“Impediments related to this aspect can be found in office spaces located in blocks of flats or villas. There are many buildings, generally those dating from the interwar period – with a large fragmentation of space and multiple access roads. However, this disadvantage is diminished by the fact that the renovation of the buildings takes into account more and more the “opening” of the spaces and the “linearization” of the access,” adds Mirela Manea.
Prices will fall slightly in the near future
The most expensive but most efficient solutions are the spaces in the business centers, new or old, with innumerable facilities. “There are also companies that target the functionality of the space but correlated with a smaller budget. They will probably opt for a class B space, more affordable in price for SMEs, compared to class A buildings “, says Mirela Manea, Esop marketing director. “These spaces have a central location, and the quality of the finishes and the telecommunications system is excellent. The management of the building is a local one, the developers of these projects being, in general, Romanian individuals and companies “, adds the representative of the Esop company.
For class B office spaces, the owners offer services to ensure the security of the building, parking, and an air conditioning system. The surfaces of these smaller buildings usually have 200-500 sqm/floor. There are also class C office spaces, which are either in newly built buildings, but without parking spaces and too many facilities (air conditioning system, PC networks, security systems, and finishes are generally minimal to medium), or in buildings built before 1989, of formerly state-owned enterprises.
One such building for rent is Splaiul Independentei BC with four floors, with a total area of 930 sqm usable and which has the advantage of surfaces of different sizes (85, 180, 230 sqm). The building has a central heating system on each floor, sufficient parking spaces, and 160 sqm storage spaces.
A particular category in terms of distinction and style is the offer of old villas, renovated and arranged as offices. “It’s a good image option. A villa has a slightly bohemian air and even its own personality. Also, space maintenance costs are reduced. If at the business centers these additional costs are between two and four euro/sqm, at the spaces located in the villas, they vary between 0.6 and one euro/sqm”, says Mirela Manea. The spaces in the villa are suitable for companies that need 100-400 sqm. Customers especially ask for the areas of Victoria, Aviators, Domains, Spring, Dacia, Poland, Cotroceni.
In terms of “block” offices, they remain the cheapest and most suitable for entrepreneurs who start a business and can not afford too high costs with the company’s headquarters. “Office spaces in blocks of flats are losing their appeal with each passing day. High maintenance costs, problems with tenant administrations, and lack of parking spaces are just some of the shortfalls of a block office. For companies with small rental budgets, these spaces are often the only solution “, says Esop’s representative.
As areas of interest for tenants, the best rated are the apartments in the blocks of flats in Victoriei Square, Magheru, Romana, Dorobanti, Unirii, and Alba-Iulia Square. Budget: The optimal budget must be taken into account, but also the maximum limit that the company can afford, as well as the payment methods (for advance payments and long rental terms, the owners make discounts).
“It is important to know what you want, but it is equally important to know what you can offer,” says Mirela Manea, marketing director of the Esop agency.
- Area: The surface is estimated, taking into account the optimal space required: 10 sqm/workstation. It is recommended about 340-400 sqm for an open space, where there is also a reception, a meeting room, an office for the manager and offices for 25 employees. “Each company will analyze it and adapt it to its own needs,” says Mirela Manea. Area: In addition to purely subjective or objective preferences (regarding the proximity of specific business environments or certain partners or customers), the existence of public transport and neighborhoods must be taken into account.
- Company image: The company’s standards must be taken into account 1. optimal facilities (air conditioning, telephone lines, Internet access, security, parking, etc.) and 2. minimum facilities (without which you do not want to rent in any form) taken into account the preference for a certain style of the building and its finishes.
- Search time: The real estate agent must know how fast you want to move to the new headquarters because when you contract office space in buildings under construction, you can get discounts on rent or other facilities (choosing the floor, etc.).
Maria Seder – Capital (no. 44, October 30, 2003)
by Maria Neda 
