Whether you’re a startup looking for your first real office space or a growing company that has outgrown its current space, moving into a new location is always a bit nerve-wracking. Of course, that’s not to say that the experience is lacking in its own unique sense of excitement and hope since, with careful planning and well-informed decisions, that new space can house your company as it fulfills dreams and surpasses expectations.

Still, with so many moving parts regarding the physical space itself, how best to utilize it according to your specific needs, and how the move will impact your bottom line, migrating to new office space involves countless choices – both big and small – that can have significant, tangible impact on the entire organization.

For that reason, TenantBase has created our incredibly useful Office Space Calculator – including both our innovative Quick Estimate and Advanced Estimate tools – to take away much of the guesswork involved in a move, providing a sense of reliability and assurance that is too often lacking when choosing new space.

The Quick Estimate: A Bird’s Eye View of Your Space

For a fast but insightful guide on what square footage you need to comfortably accommodate all the different workspaces you want within your space – including offices, conference rooms, common space and more – our Quick Estimate is an extremely useful place to start. Using your headcount along with desired workspaces, the Quick Estimate tool estimates the average square footage you should be targeting in your search.

The Advanced Estimate: Comprehensive Data for Deeper Understanding

For tenants that have a more thorough understanding of their demands from their office space, the Advanced Estimate tool can not only help guide you through the different types of workspaces but the various size ranges as well. For instance, with the Advanced Estimate tool, you can pick from a range of typical office sizes – be it 10x10, 10x15, 15x15, 15x20, or any other standard space – while even integrating collaborative space options and workstation choices if you need additional desks or cubicles, to determine the size you'll need based on your number of employees.

Drilling even further down into your office space needs, the Advanced Estimate tool also breaks down your target circulation – space you'll need to get around the office including hallways – usable space, and your common area-to-loss factor ratio. This last metric is especially insightful in highlighting the percentage difference between the rentable area – the square footage that you pay for – versus the usable area.

Likewise, the Advanced Estimate function analyzes the ever-important total rentable square footage versus usable square footage and associated load factor. Such a calculation includes prorated common areas such as hallways, stairs, conference rooms, or elevator lobbies that indirectly benefit all tenants to fully reveal the exact benefits you're paying for.

Of course, even the insights provided by our Office Space Calculator are limited if you don't have a thorough understanding of what you'll need from your office space in the first place. For that reason, TenantBase suggests you review “How Much Office Space Do I Need?” to determine your specific needs and base your search on a prioritized list of requirements. Coupled with our Office Space Calculator, you'll be far better equipped to not only find your ideal space but make the most of it as well.