CHAPTER 21 Designing Your Space our Space
Once you have your space picked out and the lease either signed or about to be signed, it’s time to put the final details on your space plans, then bring them to life. A lot of brokers will break this down into three phases. Each phase will finalize your plans with more detail and require you to work with the design team and construction company to move on to the next step. The tenant improvement buildout is usually the most costly part of the lease. Make sure you agree to terms that benefit your company. Some situations will require the tenant to cover some of the cost, for example, if the landlord quotes $50 per square foot of improvements but it costs $65 per SF. First, use your broker and market knowledge to make sure the landlord is contributing a fair number. Then, see if you can get a lower quote on the price or create a cheaper buildout. While it isn’t uncommon for tenants to pay for a portion of the buildout, usually other concessions are made for it, like free rent for a few months or breaks on utilities. A good commercial agent will have companies it uses to make bids and construction you can trust.
SCHEME DESIGN
This is usually the first phase of starting your buildout. Here you take your test fits, estimates, and pricing quotes and put them together with your designer. This is the first time you’ll start to 131
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