Choosing Office Space: What To Check Before You Sign
Choosing office space is about more than rent and a nice view. This guide shows you what to check before you sign: your real space needs, business rates after the 2026 revaluation, the EPC rules, and the access details that decide how smoothly you move in.
Start with your needs
Work Out What You Need Before You View Anything
Choosing office space goes wrong when the viewing comes first. A great reception and a roof terrace can win you over before anyone has counted desks. Write your brief first. Then every viewing is a test against that brief, not a beauty contest.
Your brief should answer a short list of questions:
- How many people are in on your busiest day, not your average day?
- How many meeting rooms, quiet rooms and phone booths do you use each week?
- What storage, server space and kitchen space do you need?
- Where do your staff live, and how do they travel to work?
- How long do you want to commit for, and how much might you grow or shrink?
I'm Darrin, and I run CMR Relocation from Broadheath in Altrincham. Our team has moved offices across Manchester and Cheshire since 2011. We see the new building on moving day, when it is too late to change it. This guide is the checklist we wish every client had used before they signed.
Space per person
The Legal Minimum And The Practical Number For Your Team
The law sets a floor, not a target. Use it as a check, then plan for real working life.
| What to count | Where the number comes from | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Room volume per person | HSE: at least 11 cubic metres per person, with ceilings above 3 metres counted as 3 metres | A legal minimum only. Furniture uses much of it |
| Floor area at a 2.4 metre ceiling | HSE: about 4.6 square metres per person to reach 11 cubic metres | Still a minimum. Real offices need more for desks and walkways |
| Desks | Your own peak-day count | Hybrid teams rarely need a desk per person |
| Meeting and quiet rooms | Your diary and booking data | Often the space teams run short of first |
| Storage and filing | A count of what you keep | A clear-out before the move can cut this a lot |
The volume figures come from the HSE answer to how much space you are entitled to at work. HSE adds that 11 cubic metres may not be enough if much of the room is taken up by furniture.
The desk count is where most firms overspend. If your team works in the office two or three days a week, our guide on setting a desk ratio for hybrid teams shows how to measure your real peak. Then test the brief on paper. Our office space planning service works from the landlord's floor plan, so you can see whether your teams fit before you commit.
The other bill
Rent Is Only Part Of It: Business Rates After The 2026 Revaluation
Business rates are often the second biggest bill after rent, and many first-time tenants forget them. They changed in April 2026, so older rates figures in an agent's brochure may be out of date.
Every three years, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) sets new rateable values for offices in England and Wales. This is called a revaluation. The 2026 revaluation used rents as they stood on 1 April 2024, and the new values took effect on 1 April 2026. Your council then works out the bill by multiplying the rateable value by a set figure, called the multiplier, and taking off any relief.
From April 2026, England has five multipliers instead of two. Offices fall under the first three rows below.
| Property and rateable value | Multiplier 2026 to 2027 |
|---|---|
| Not retail, hospitality or leisure: below £51,000 | 43.2 pence |
| Not retail, hospitality or leisure: £51,000 to £499,999 | 48 pence |
| Any property: £500,000 or more | 50.8 pence |
| Retail, hospitality or leisure: below £51,000 | 38.2 pence |
| Retail, hospitality or leisure: £51,000 to £499,999 | 43 pence |
Source: GOV.UK, how your business rates are calculated. Figures for England, checked October 2026.
Small firms may pay less. Under small business rate relief, a business whose only property has a rateable value of £12,000 or less pays no business rates, and relief tapers away between £12,001 and £15,000. Source: GOV.UK small business rate relief, checked October 2026.
Before you sign, look up the building on the GOV.UK service to check and challenge a rateable value. Ask the agent for the current bill, and ask your council to confirm any relief. Do not rely on a brochure printed before April 2026.
Energy rules
EPC Ratings And The Energy Rules Landlords Face In 2026
Every office you view should have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). It rates the building from A, the best, to G, the worst. You can look up any certificate on the GOV.UK energy certificate register.
The rating matters to you for two reasons. A poor rating usually means higher heating and cooling bills. It can also limit how long the landlord can keep letting the space.
- The rule today. Since 1 April 2023, landlords in England and Wales cannot keep letting most non-domestic property rated below E unless they register a valid exemption. See the GOV.UK landlord guidance on the minimum energy standard.
- The plan for larger buildings. In its June 2026 interim response, the government said it intends that rented buildings over 1,000 square metres reach EPC B by 2031, where cost-effective. This needs new legislation before it applies.
- What was dropped. The earlier idea of EPC C for all offices by 2027 will not go ahead. Buildings under 1,000 square metres stay at the EPC E minimum for now.
The government's position is set out in the MEES interim response on GOV.UK. If you are taking a large floor on a long lease, ask the landlord how they plan to reach EPC B, and whether upgrade works could disrupt you or land in the service charge. Ask your solicitor to check the lease wording on this.
The bit only a mover tells you
Goods Lifts, Loading Bays And Move-In Access
This is where we see the most surprises. A building can be perfect for your team and still be hard to move into. Check these points on the viewing, with a tape measure in your bag:
- Is there a goods lift? Measure its door and car, and ask its weight limit.
- Can you book the lift for a whole evening or weekend?
- Is there a loading bay, and does it have time slots or height limits?
- Is there legal space on the street to park and load if there is no bay?
- How far is it from the vehicle to the office door, and are there steps?
- Will the building let a crew work after hours, and who holds the keys?
- Where do the data cables enter, and where will your comms cabinet go?
Get the building's rules for moves in writing. Pass them to your removal firm with the floor plan. Our office removals team in Manchester plans the move around those rules, and our IT relocation crew needs the comms room details early.
Location
City Centre, Trafford Park Or Altrincham: Matching Place To Staff
The right location is the one your staff can reach. Map where people live before you shortlist streets. A move that adds an hour to a commute can cost you good people.
Manchester city centre has the most choice, the biggest rail stations and Metrolink on the doorstep. It also has the busiest streets for loading, so access needs early planning.
Trafford Park suits firms that need parking and larger floors. The Metrolink Trafford Park line serves the area, but check how close the stop is to the door.
Altrincham has Metrolink trams and Northern trains at Altrincham Interchange, and easy access to the M56. It suits teams that live in south Manchester and Cheshire.
Check routes and stops on the Transport for Greater Manchester website before you shortlist.
Think ahead
Lease Terms That Shape Your Next Office Move
The day you sign is the day you set the rules for leaving. These terms matter most.
| Lease term | What to ask |
|---|---|
| Length and break clause | When can we leave, and what conditions must we meet to use the break? |
| Repair obligations | Do we repair the whole space, or only keep it in its current state? |
| Schedule of condition | Can we agree a photo record of the condition on day one? |
| Reinstatement | Must we remove our partitions, cabling and fit-out when we go? |
| Security of tenure | Is the lease inside or outside the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 renewal rights? |
| Service charge | What does it cover, and is there a cap? |
A photo schedule of condition costs little and can save a lot. It records how the office looked when you moved in. When you leave, it helps show what was already worn or damaged. Our guide to dilapidations when you leave an office explains why this matters so much at the end.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your solicitor and surveyor should review the lease before you sign.
After you sign
From Signed Lease To First Morning In The New Office
Once you have the keys, the clock starts. Order internet lines first, because they take the longest. Then fix the layout and the furniture. Our six-month planning checklist sets out the order.
If you need new desks, our office furniture supply and fitting team sells, delivers and builds them, and can move the furniture you keep. For the move itself, we can provide extra hands through our commercial labour hire for office moves. You can see how a full project came together in the Meridian Healthcomms case study.
We are based at Unit B1, Stuart Road, Broadheath, and we cover Manchester and Cheshire. Visit our CMR Relocation homepage to see what we do, or call Darrin on 0161 478 3639. We are happy to look at a building with you before you sign.
Shortlisted a building? Ask us to check the access before you sign, then plan the move from there.
Get a free quoteFAQs
Choosing Office Space: Questions Before You Sign
Still unsure about something in this guide? Darrin is happy to talk it through.
How much office space do we need per person?
There is no single answer. The law sets a minimum room volume per person, but desks, storage, meeting rooms and walkways take far more. Start from your busiest day in the office, list every room you need, then ask a space planner to test the plan on the real floor plan.
How do I find the business rates for an office before I sign?
Look up the property on the GOV.UK service to find a business rates valuation. It shows the rateable value that applies from 1 April 2026. Your council works out the bill from that value, the multiplier and any relief you qualify for, so ask the council or a rating adviser to confirm.
What EPC rating does a rented office need?
In England and Wales a landlord cannot let, or keep letting, most non-domestic property rated below E unless a valid exemption is registered. In June 2026 the government said it intends to require EPC B by 2031 for rented buildings over 1,000 square metres, subject to new legislation.
Should we view the goods lift and loading bay before we sign?
Yes. Ask to see them, measure them, and get the building rules for moves in writing. A small lift or a loading bay with tight time slots can add hours to the move. These details are much easier to fix before you sign than after.
What lease terms affect our next office move?
The length of the lease, any break clause and its conditions, the repairing obligations, and any duty to reinstate the space when you leave. A schedule of condition agreed at the start can limit what you owe later. Your solicitor should explain each one before you sign.
When should we bring in a removal firm?
Earlier than most people think. A short visit while you are still choosing can flag a lift that is too small for your cabinets or a street with no loading space. It costs nothing to ask, and it can stop a costly surprise on moving day.
Local area data
Compare towns across Greater Manchester and Cheshire
Thinking about where to move? Tap a town for its prices, schools, crime and commute.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, including HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Data sources and notes
Prefer a list? Show all 48 towns
Manchester
Rochdale
Cheshire East
Cheshire West and Chester
Warrington
Not on the list?
Your town may still be close by. Call 0161 478 3639 to ask about your town.
Not on the list?
Your town may still be close by. Call 0161 478 3639 to ask about your town.
Not on the list?
Your town may still be close by. Call 0161 478 3639 to ask about your town.