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The Office Genie guide to finding offices to let

Whether you're a large company looking to move offices, or a small start-up looking for your first let office space, there are plenty of let offices available. The key is finding the right one for your business, so we've put this guide together to get you on the right tracks.

Types of office space to let

We're going to break the types of commercial office to let into three key categories: traditional leased office space, serviced office space and shared offices. The serviced and shared office categories will be further broken down to look at how shared offices to let can also include rent-a-desk schemes.

Leased office to let: the traditional method

When it comes to renting office space, leasing is the method most people will be used to. A leased office will see you let office space from the ground up, leaving you in charge of everything from the furniture and utilities to security and repairs. This has a couple of obvious advantages, the first being that cheap offices to let are always going to be the leased ones. Not only will you get a cheap office to let, but you'll also get the run of the place - from choosing the décor to deciding where to prioritise your funds. Want the best broadband available to man, but the cheapest carpets? It's your call.

Of course, one business's upside is another's downside. Many people don't want the hassle of office management, or the uncertainty of a sudden roof repair playing on their mind while they've got the rest of the business to run. At the same time, leased offices to let will tend to be on very long contracts - normally three years or more. This can be a long commitment for a business, especially in times of financial uncertainty. It also means that coping with expansion or redundancies can become problematic.

Shared offices to let

One alternative to leasing a whole office to yourself is to take advantage of space left in an office leased by another company. Shared let office space is becoming more common, often as companies are forced to downsize due to the recession, or those leasing the space realise they have more letting options of they cater to the growing number of small businesses, freelancers and start-ups coming into the market. You can still get all the benefits of a leased office, including post, meeting rooms and that all important business address.

You might find it difficult to find cheap offices to let in this category, but it is worth weighing up the savings you'll make by doing so. In a shared office, you'll find all those pesky annoyances that come with leasing are taken care of for you - furniture, security, legal and running costs are all included in your monthly charge, leaving you to run your business. Another advantage is you're often just required to sign up on a month to month basis, while you should be able to move in almost immediately. If you pay by desk, start-ups will also have the advantage of being flexible when it comes to the number of employees you need to provide space for.

Serviced office space to let buildings

Taking this idea one step further are serviced offices - building purposely set up to let offices to companies on a short-term contract basis. These are cropping up all over the UK's business hubs, as commercial property owners see the potential in managed offices. A serviced office can have everything from a reception area and receptionist right up to IT support and canteen facilities. You also have the peace of mind of knowing the building is being run by a company that specialises in just that - running offices.

If you're looking for a commercial office to let in a hurry, serviced offices are a god-send. They are also perfect if you have a lot of staff for a short amount of time - you can rent a whole area for as little as a month to meet a peak demand. Of course, this is going to cost, but you can't expect this level of convenience and professionalism without paying for it.

Why let office space when you can just rent a desk?

But shared and serviced offices aren't just for small companies - they can be great for entrepreneurs, start-ups and freelancers too. Many offer the opportunity to rent as little as one desk, and not necessarily on a full-time basis. There are rent-a-desk schemes that will only charge you by the hour, giving you that space in the city when you need it, rather than on a monthly basis. And you'll find them in towns and villages across the UK too; not just in business hubs such as Manchester and Birmingham.

This way you only need to pay for what you can afford, while getting the benefit of let office facilities such as a meeting room, broadband and the rest. It can also be a great way to try out the idea of moving your business into an office if you're currently home working. It can be a big step, so why not try it out and see how it goes by transitioning via a rent-a-desk scheme? If you take to it, it's just a small step to a monthly deal in a shared or serviced office for rent.

Securing your perfect office to let

Whether you're looking for a cheap office rental in your local town, or a floor on a London city office block, Office Genie has all the options you need - simply type in the details above so we can narrow down your search by postcode, size and cost, as well as type of office. Or if you're still not sure, call the number at the top of the page for free advice on what to do next.