Should we actually move offices?
Before touring buildings: seven inputs tell you whether moving is the right call, or whether the gain is closer to home.
The question 'should we move offices?' is rarely asked cleanly. Usually the choice is emotionally made, for or against, and the organisation looks for data to back it up. This tool flips that: seven hard inputs, one honest recommendation, then the conversation.
Why Stay / Reconfigure / Expand / Relocate
In practice we see that 60 to 70 percent of organisations starting with a relocation question need a different answer once the analysis is honest. Some can stay and gain several years with targeted interventions; others do not need a move but a reconfiguration; a smaller group needs to expand in place rather than relocate.
The four verdicts are presented from least to most disruptive on purpose. Relocation as a first reflex costs two to four times more than a reconfiguration, and often delivers less strategic gain than assumed up front.
The seven inputs and their weight
Occupancy, contract flexibility and growth carry the most weight. Occupancy below 50 percent with average growth almost always indicates reconfiguration, more m² is not the answer, different m² is. Occupancy above 85 percent with growth above 20 percent and a break option within 12 months typically indicates relocation.
Work pattern, client visits, employee satisfaction and primary pain point act as modulators: they make the difference between 'stay and optimise' and 'stay and reconfigure', or between 'expand in place' and 'full relocation'.
What the tool does not do
It does not appraise buildings, parse property listings, or know your local market. The recommendation is a strategic frame to start the board conversation more sharply, not to close the transaction. For property-specific assessment the [Workplace Decision Scorecard](/property-fit-scorecard) is the logical next step; for m²-substantiation the [Hybrid Sizing Calculator](/hybrid-sizing).
Treat the outcome as a hypothesis, not a conclusion. We find the tool most valuable when three to five board members fill it in independently and compare results, the divergences open the real conversation.
Want to walk through your outcome confidentially with a senior strategic advisor? That fits into a 45-minute strategy session.
Book strategy session →Before the first decision is made.
A strategy session is the moment to clarify your context and the strategic choices around your workspace investment, before design and construction set the direction.