You’ve been in business long enough to know that growth, change, and workspace demand don’t wait for perfect timing. After 10 + years of helping organisations optimise their environments, here’s the no-fluff guide: whether to reconfigure your existing space or relocate to a new one, and how to decide which path gives you the most leverage, lowest regret, and highest return.
1. Define your terms
- Reconfigure: reorganising, adapting, redesigning your existing footprint—changing furniture, layout, partitions, lighting, workflow zones. (It doesn’t involve moving building.)
- Relocate: moving to a new space entirely — new lease, new location, fresh premises, sometimes upgraded building shell, re-installation of systems and furniture.
Clear definitions help you avoid mixing apples and oranges. Many businesses leap to relocation when a reconfiguration would have sufficed.
2. Why the decision matters
The choice to stay vs go influences:
- Cost: relocation typically magas more upfront cost, but can yield long-term gains. Reconfiguration costs less up front, lower disruption, but may limit future scalability.
- Disruption & downtime: Staying and reconfiguring often means less interruption. Relocation usually requires detailed logistics, possible downtime.
- Scalability & future growth: If you’re out-growing the space significantly, relocation may be the strategic lever. If your growth is moderate, reconfiguration might buy you time.
- Culture & talent: Your workspace impacts how you attract and retain talent and how your culture shows up. A refreshed layout may give you a lift; a new location may signal boldness.
- Lease/real estate factors: End of lease, building limitations, infrastructure constraints — all matter. Ignoring them pushes you into sub-optimal decisions.
3. Key questions to ask upfront
Before you pick a path, answer:
- Capacity & utilisation: Are you genuinely hitting the ceilings of your current space (square footage, workstation count, meeting rooms)? Or are assets under-utilised?
- Infrastructure limitations: Does your current facility limit you – e.g., HVAC, wiring, ceiling height, window line, building systems? Even the best redesign won’t fix a structurally deficient building.
- Lease & cost environment: Is your current lease expiring soon, or is it at market rate? Is relocating likely to give you better value or terms?
- Location & talent draw: Does your location support your hiring, commuting, client access needs? Might a move improve these?
- Flexibility & future changes: Do you foresee major shifts (hybrid work, growth, mergers)? Does staying impose constraints on future adaptability?
- Budget & timeline: What can you afford, and when do you need the change executed? Sometimes the deciding factor becomes “can I do this now?” rather than “should I?”
- Cultural and brand identity: How much does your workspace reflect your brand and culture? If outdated, is this a matter of layout or location?
4. When Reconfigure makes sense
If you tick most of these boxes, staying and reconfiguring is likely the right call:
- Your lease still has significant runway and terms are favourable.
- The space is fundamentally sound (floor plate size, infrastructure) but internal layout is inefficient.
- You don’t need radical expansion, just optimisation (e.g., more meeting zones, collaborative spaces, adjust to hybrid).
- Cost constraints mean you want minimal disruption, minimal move-logistics.
- A cultural refresh via layout gives you the boost you need without relocating.
- You expect continued moderate growth and want to preserve capital for core business rather than real-estate move.
Advantages:
- Lower immediate cost.
- Less downtime.
- Faster implementation (you’re building on existing real estate).
- Retain existing location advantages (neighbourhood, brand familiarity, client access).
- You can often phase the reconfiguration incrementally.
Pitfalls to watch out for:
- You may only get a short-term fix if growth accelerates beyond expectations.
- If infrastructure is weak (ageing building, limited natural light, poor wiring) you might be repainting a sinking ship.
- Layout changes have limitations (you cannot easily enlarge the footprint).
- If the location is becoming a talent disadvantage (commute, neighbourhood decline, access) then layout tweaks won’t fix that.
5. When Relocate is the smarter move
If you find yourself answering yes to multiple of these:
- You have outgrown the space significantly (headcount, teams, equipment).
- Your lease is expiring, renewal terms are unfavourable, or you want a fresh start.
- Location is hurting you: talent acquisition/retention, commuting, amenities, client perception.
- You need infrastructure upgrades (wiring, HVAC, ceiling height, flexibility) that are too costly or impossible in current space.
- Your growth trajectory is steep and you want a space built for scale and flexibility.
- Brand, culture, or ambition demands a “new chapter” physical environment.
Advantages:
- A clean slate to design exactly what you need.
- Potential for a better location (talent, clients, brand).
- Future-proofing — you choose the building/space to match your future strategy, not just your past.
- Possible cost benefits long term (lower rent/sq ft, more efficient building systems).
- Motivational impact: new space can energise staff, clients, culture.
Pitfalls to watch out for:
- Significant upfront cost (moving, leasehold improvements, relocation logistics).
- Longer timeline; more complexity; potential business disruption if not managed.
- Risk of decision paralysis (spending too long looking for the “perfect” space).
- You may pay more for “nice to have” features vs “need to have” features — leverage discipline is critical.
6. Decision matrix: Reconfigure vs Relocate
Here’s a simplified decision matrix (pull this out when you’re in the meeting room):
| Question | If Yes → lean toward Relocate | If No → lean toward Reconfigure |
|---|---|---|
| Are you effectively at capacity (people/space)? | Relocate | Reconfigure |
| Is your infrastructure limiting growth (wiring, services, ceilings)? | Relocate | Reconfigure |
| Is your location / commute / client access a disadvantage? | Relocate | Reconfigure |
| Is your lease expiry or cost forcing a move? | Relocate | Reconfigure |
| Is your budget limited and timeline tight? | Reconfigure | Relocate |
| Are you seeking major change in culture/brand through space? | Relocate | Reconfigure/enhance |
This doesn’t make the choice for you—but it clarifies which side holds more weight.
7. Smart evaluation checklist
When you decide to evaluate, include these items:
- Conduct a space-usage audit: measure how many stations are occupied vs planned, meeting room utilisation, wasted corridor or breakout space. Many businesses assume space scarcity when inefficient layout is the root issue.
- Review lease and real estate market: compare your current cost per square foot, growth potential, building class, location trends, and what’s available.
- Ask the team: What frustrates them about the space? Are we constantly shifting teams, hiding in corners, using conference rooms as offices? Hidden pain often signals structural layout problems.
- Project forward 3-5 years: Map your growth assumptions (headcount, function expansions, remote/hybrid mix). Which option gives you cushion?
- Evaluate infrastructure age/condition: HVAC, lighting, data cabling, ceiling systems. If your building is nearing obsolescence, relocation may avoid massive hidden cost.
- Estimate total cost of moving vs reconfiguring (not just sticker price): downtime, disruption, lost productivity, implementation risk.
- Consider culture/talent: What environment will better empower your team? And which choice will signal the right message to both employees and clients?
- Set measurable criteria: e.g., target cost per workstation, transition downtime threshold, staff satisfaction benchmark, occupancy ratio. Use those to benchmark options.
8. Case study style insight
Here’s a composite example from my years of work (anonymised). Company A is a mid-sized tech firm renting 7,000 sq ft downtown. They’d grown from 40 to 75 people over 3 years. Their meeting rooms were double-booked, staff were hot-desking, and hybrid work was being introduced. They faced a lease renewal in 12 months.
Their options:
- Reconfigure: within the 7,000 sq ft, redesign layout, add more huddle rooms, reduce corridors, optimise common space; cost estimated C$120/sq ft.
- Relocate: move to a 10,000 sq ft newer building with modern infrastructure, better transit location, cost slightly higher per sq ft but more efficient layout; estimated C$200/sq ft inclusive of move.
They did the matrix: their growth forecast pointed to 100 staff in 18 months. The current building’s ceiling height was low, HVAC was aging, and location had poor transit access. The lease renewal offered no concessions.
They chose to relocate. Outcome: they moved over a weekend, minimal downtime, and the new layout allowed for hot-desking, enhanced hybrid support, stronger culture. After 18 months they were ahead in productivity and felt the move paid off.
Contrast with Company B: smaller team, stable growth (40 to 50 in 3 years), lease had 4 years left, building was sound. They chose to reconfigure, saved C$80K compared with moving, implemented in 6 weeks, minimal disruption. Two years later they’re still fine.
The lesson: fit your decision to your business dynamics, not emotions.
9. Execution tips for either path
If Reconfiguring:
- Engage a space-planner early. Don’t just rearrange furniture—design workflow with intent (adjacencies, collaboration zones, quiet zones).
- Prioritise low-disruption implementation (after hours, phased) so business continues.
- Use modular systems (demountable walls, flexible furniture) so you can adjust again.
- Measure before & after: workstation utilisation, breakout usage, employee surveys.
- Communicate change to staff in advance — even reconfiguring triggers change fatigue. Make it smooth.
If Relocating:
- Set a firm timeline, and build a project plan with milestones (lease, design, fit-out, move logistics).
- Involve cross-functional stakeholders: IT, HR, operations, facilities — neglect one and you’ll have surprises.
- Plan move-day logistics thoroughly: packing, migrating servers, off-hours to minimise interruption.
- Budget for hidden costs: communications, signage change, way-finding, staff commute changes, downtime risk.
- Manage culture: the move is more than physical — new location = new identity. Use it to refresh brand.
- Post-move review: track metrics (productivity, staff satisfaction, space utilisation) and iterate.
10. Avoiding common traps
- Trap #1: Assuming space shortage when layout is the issue. Redesign often works if you just swap inefficient zones.
- Trap #2: Ignoring future growth. Reconfiguring a small space may be fine short term but you’ll be back in two years scrambling.
- Trap #3: Under-budgeting relocation. Cost overruns kill the ROI.
- Trap #4: Doing neither well. Staying in a sub-par location because it’s comfortable can drain culture, talent, productivity.
- Trap #5: Over-investing in bells & whistles. A location move must be justified by strategic goals, not simply “we want nicer office”.
11. Decision summary and your next steps
Bottom line:
- If your current space meets most functional needs, your growth is moderate, and the lease/infrastructure aren’t hurting you → reconfigure.
- If you’re hitting structural limits, growth is accelerating, your location or infrastructure are dragging you down → relocate.
Next steps:
- Run the decision matrix.
- Conduct the audit (space, lease, infrastructure, growth).
- Project 3-5 years out with scenario modelling (what happens if we grow 30%? 50%?).
- Engage advisors (space planner, real-estate broker) early.
- Set budget and timeline.
- Make a go/no-go decision by a firm deadline.
- Execute with discipline and review results.
Your workspace is not just square footage—it’s a strategic asset. Ignore it and you bleed productivity, talent and culture slowly. Treat it recklessly and you overspend and lose agility. Make the decision deliberately, act decisively, and hold yourself accountable for the outcome.
