The handover of your new workspace is an amazing milestone for a campaign. You’ve worked so hard over many months with your specialist and their team to deliver an environment that is going to set your business up for the future and provide a platform for success.
But as you go through the hand-over process, take some time to ensure the quality of product, fit and finish, along with any agreed features are all working to your standards. If your fit-out specialist doesn’t provide you with an inspection checklist for handover, here are some key areas that you should inspect before signing your project off as complete.
Damaged ceiling tiles
There is a lot of work that goes into the ceiling of a new workplace, from cabling for electricity and data to air-con and insulation. Take the time to walk the floor space and make sure there are no damaged or faulty ceiling tiles that could cause injury to those sitting below them or are at risk of creating damage to other services in the ceiling or on the ground.
Paint Imperfections
This one is open to interpretation, however, inspecting the paint finish on your new office space is an important process. Painting isn’t something you want to constantly be revisiting, as it’s disruptive to a workplace and the smell can be off-putting for many staff and clients. Like the ceiling tiles, walk the building and make sure all the offices, open plan areas, and amenities are painted and finished to your satisfaction.
Marks and dents in walls
I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but check the walls for damage that hasn’t been rectified in the construction process. It is easy for walls to be damaged with several trades on-site in the lead up to hand-over. A fresh set of eyes over a newly made-over work-space may highlight some areas the fit-out company has failed to see. Ensure these are repaired to your standards before accepting handover.
Power and data outlets that work
Moving your staff into the building and getting all their business equipment set up correctly relies on working power and data. Ensure that you or your IT teams are going through all power and data outlets to make sure they work appropriately. This will ensure there are no unnecessary disruptions to business operations due to faulty power and data outlets once everyone has moved in.
Air conditioning that is balanced
You’ll hear someone in every workplace say that the air-con in their office, or part of the building is too cold, or too hot. Ensure that in the handover process that the air-con is running, its timer for when it’s on and off is set in conjunction with your preferences, and a temperature control reader is run across the various areas of the business to ensure it is even and well distributed. Any changes that need to be made should be corrected before the handover is accepted.
Neat and Flush joints in joinery
Ensure that there are no rough cuts when it comes to any joinery work that has been done in the new workplace. This includes incorrect angles that the eye will pick up, but more specifically, sharp edges on tables or seating that can cause injury to staff and clients.
Grout and Silicon workaround tiling
Whilst most of the checks we’ve been going through are looking up, take some time to check any tiling work, especially around amenities and break out areas. Unfinished grout or silicon work should be addressed before accepting handover as any leaks in these areas can cause you big problems. Mostly these are small fixes and can be addressed quickly, but don’t be afraid to ask for an issue to be addressed in the handover process to meet your expectations.
Choosing the right professional fit-out team for your new office workspace may possibly be one of the most cost and time-efficient decisions that can be made when considering the development of your future workspace.
So, if you are looking for an office fit-out specialist with the industry best design to help you navigate the development of your post-covid work environment, get in touch.