Looking for office space for a small team does not involve the same trade-offs as looking for space for an already structured team. Once you reach around 10 people, the issue changes scale: it is no longer just about finding a few available workstations, but about choosing a space that can support the company’s real uses, its attendance patterns, its meetings, its confidentiality needs and its possible evolution.
This is often when the budget becomes harder to read. The rent or price per workstation gives an initial indication, but it is not enough to measure the real cost of an office. Service charges, furniture, internet, cleaning, fit-out, maintenance, management time and contractual flexibility can all have a significant impact on the final budget.
To compare several solutions properly, you therefore need to think in terms of total cost. The objective is not necessarily to choose the cheapest option on paper, but the one that remains consistent with the team’s organisation, the expected level of service and the company’s ability to plan for the coming months.
Key takeaways
- From around 10 people, office space becomes a total cost, not just a rent.
- Two solutions with similar monthly prices can hide very different levels of service.
- Fit-out, equipment, maintenance and internal management costs are often underestimated.
- Flexibility has a cost, but a lack of flexibility can also become expensive.
- The right trade-off depends as much on the budget as on the company’s visibility over its team, its uses and its attendance patterns.
Why the 10-person threshold changes the calculation
A team of 3 or 4 people can sometimes operate with a temporary solution, a few coworking desks or a relatively simple space. Once a team reaches around 10 people, the needs become more structured. You need to plan for suitable workstations, but also spaces to meet, isolate, take calls, welcome clients or work quietly.
The office is no longer just a place to install a team. It becomes a working environment that influences day-to-day organisation. If the space is poorly sized, too rigid or insufficiently equipped, the cost is not always immediately visible in the rent, but it appears in lost time, internal friction or adjustments that have to be managed.
The real change
At this threshold, the question is no longer just “how much does the office cost?”, but “what does this cost actually include, and what still needs to be managed on top?”
The visible cost: what companies often look at first
Before looking at the less visible costs, some data remains essential to compare. It forms the basis of the budget, but it should not be read in isolation.
The rent or price per workstation
The monthly rent, or the price per workstation in some flexible offers, remains the first benchmark. It allows you to quickly assess whether a solution fits within an acceptable budget.
But this amount can be misleading if it is not connected to what it actually includes. A lower price may leave furniture, services, fit-out or part of the day-to-day management to the company. Conversely, a higher price may include several cost items already built in, making the budget easier to read.
The available surface area
Surface area is another obvious criterion, but it does not say everything. A surface area that seems sufficient on paper can be poorly used if it lacks meeting rooms, quiet spaces, common areas or fluid circulation. Conversely, a well-designed space can offer a better user experience without necessarily multiplying square metres.
You also need to ask a question that is often overlooked: what is the real workstation density? Two offices can display the same number of workstations while offering a very different experience. Some spaces are highly densified to accommodate as many employees as possible, at the expense of comfort, confidentiality, circulation or the quality of time spent at the office.
The right question is therefore not only: how many square metres are available? You also need to look at how many workstations are actually installed in that space, under what conditions, and with what level of user comfort for the team.
The length of commitment
The contract duration has a strong impact on the real cost. A cheaper solution can become restrictive if it commits the company for too long, especially when the business still lacks visibility or the team may evolve quickly.
From a certain size, the level of flexibility is no longer just a matter of comfort. It is a financial criterion in its own right.
| What companies often compare | What also needs to be checked |
|---|---|
| Monthly rent | Service charges, included services, entry costs |
| Price per workstation | Equipment, services, flexibility |
| Total surface area | Actually usable surface area |
| Number of workstations displayed | Workstation density, user comfort, available common areas |
| Address | Real accessibility for the team |
| Contract duration | Ability to evolve or exit the framework |
The costs that are often underestimated in an office budget
The real cost of an office is often built in the details. Some items seem secondary during the search, but become significant as soon as the team grows.
| Cost item | Why it really matters |
|---|---|
| Security deposit / guarantee deposit | The amount immobilised at the start can vary significantly depending on the contract. |
| Building charges and operating charges | They can increase the budget if they are not clearly included. |
| Property tax and insurance | These items are sometimes forgotten when comparing a traditional lease and a managed solution. |
| Furniture and signage | Properly equipping 10 people or more quickly becomes a visible budget item. |
| Fit-out, partitioning and de-partitioning | Adapting the space to the size of the team can increase the budget and delay installation. |
| Internet / fibre / Wi-Fi | Connection, installation, maintenance and security are essential elements. |
| Secure access and badges | Creating access in advance is essential for a smooth and secure move-in. |
| Cleaning and maintenance | These are recurring costs that are often forgotten in the initial comparisons. |
| Coffee, kitchenette and lounge areas | These services contribute to daily comfort and can represent a separate cost. |
| Equipped meeting rooms | Their absence can disrupt the team or require external room rentals. |
| Repairs and minor damage | Small day-to-day interventions can become a management burden. |
| Move / installation | Even a simple transition takes time and energy. |
| Internal management | Service providers, incidents, access, purchases and maintenance all take time. |
| Flexibility | A framework that is too rigid can become expensive if needs change. |
The often overlooked point
Internal management time is rarely included in the calculation. Yet the more the team grows, the more coordinating services, suppliers, access or space adjustments can weigh on the organisation. This cost does not always appear on an invoice, but it does exist in the life of the company.
Empty office, fitted office, managed office: what are you really comparing?
Comparing several office solutions means comparing models that are truly equivalent. A traditional lease, a fitted office and a managed office do not involve the same level of service, management or commitment.
The empty office
An empty office can seem more economical at first, especially if you only look at the headline rent. But it often involves higher entry costs: furniture, fit-out, internet, service contracts, maintenance, insurance and supplier management.
It may be relevant for a company that wants full control over its space and is able to plan for the long term. However, it requires more time, more coordination and the ability to absorb set-up costs.
The fitted office
A fitted office reduces some of the initial constraints. The company saves time on installation and limits some start-up costs. However, it is important to check exactly what is included: furniture, connection, rooms, shared services, maintenance, access and upkeep.
This type of solution can be useful if the company is looking for a balance between autonomy and simplicity, without starting from a completely empty space.
The managed or turnkey office
The managed or turnkey office often brings together several cost items in a more readable budget: furniture, fit-out, partitioning or de-partitioning if required, services, secure access, fibre, Wi-Fi, cleaning, maintenance, equipped meeting rooms, common areas, kitchenette, maintenance or small day-to-day repairs. The price displayed may seem higher than a traditional rent, but the comparison should be made in terms of total cost.
Its main benefit is to reduce the management burden and speed up installation, while maintaining a degree of flexibility. For a team of 10 people or more, this can make a real difference: fewer suppliers to manage, fewer scattered costs, less time spent organising the space, and a clearer view of the budget.
| Element to compare | Traditional lease | Managed or turnkey office |
|---|---|---|
| Contract and commitment | Often a longer commitment, with a more structured framework. | Generally a more flexible framework, to be checked depending on the offer. |
| Security deposit / guarantee deposit | Sometimes a significant amount to immobilise at the start. | Conditions are often easier to read depending on the contract. |
| Building and operating charges | Items to monitor, control or pass on separately. | Charges are often included or centralised in the offer. |
| Property tax and insurance | May be added to the overall cost. | May be included depending on the level of service. |
| Fit-out and furniture | To be financed, organised and coordinated. | Already provided or supported during installation. |
| Signage and personalisation | To be managed separately. | Can be integrated into the offer. |
| Cleaning and maintenance | Service providers to select and manage. | Services are generally included or coordinated. |
| Coffee, kitchenette, lounge | To be planned separately. | Shared or included services. |
| Equipped meeting room | To be created, equipped or booked elsewhere. | Already available depending on the spaces. |
| Fibre and Wi-Fi | Installation and maintenance to manage. | Connection generally operational. |
| Minor repairs | To be organised as needed. | Handled directly or coordinated more easily. |
| Model | Apparent advantage | Point to check |
|---|---|---|
| Empty office | Sometimes lower headline rent | Works, furniture, timelines, management |
| Fitted office | Simpler installation | Actual level of equipment included |
| Managed office | More readable budget and integrated services | Duration, flexibility, fit with actual uses |
| Coworking / flexible workstations | Flexibility and speed | Relevance once the team becomes more structured |
The cost of poor sizing
The real cost of an office does not depend only on the model chosen. It also depends on how well the space matches the team’s actual uses.
Three mistakes can quickly become costly:
- A space that is too small, creating friction: lack of rooms, noise, difficulty concentrating, lack of confidentiality.
- A space that is too large, unnecessarily tying up budget, especially if the team is hybrid or if expected growth takes longer.
- A framework that is too rigid, becoming restrictive if the company needs to recruit, reduce its surface area, adapt its attendance patterns or change location.
The right question
It is not only: how many workstations are needed? It is rather: how many people will actually be present at the same time, with what uses, and what margin should be kept for the coming months?
How to compare two solutions without making the wrong choice
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is useful to bring each option back to the same reading grid. This makes it possible to go beyond the displayed price, better qualify visits and avoid mistakes when searching for office space.
| Criterion | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Total monthly cost | What does the displayed amount actually include? |
| Entry cost | Do you need to budget for furniture, works, fees or installation? |
| Included services | Internet, cleaning, maintenance, reception, rooms: what is included? |
| Installation timeline | Can the team move in quickly? |
| Flexibility | Does the contract allow the surface area or duration to be adjusted? |
| Internal management | Who handles suppliers, incidents and adjustments? |
| Team evolution | Can the space absorb an increase or decrease in headcount? |
Two solutions should therefore not be compared solely on the basis of a monthly price. A more economical option may require more management, more equipment or more time. Conversely, a more complete solution can reduce indirect costs and make installation simpler.
From 10 people, the cheapest option is not always the most profitable
When a team reaches a certain size, the right office is not necessarily the one with the lowest displayed cost. It is the one that enables the team to work in good conditions, avoid hidden costs and remain consistent with the company’s evolution.
A stable company, with a long-term outlook and a well-sized team, may accept a more traditional framework if it has the time and resources to manage it. A company that is growing, transitioning or consolidating may sometimes benefit more from a solution that is easier to activate, more flexible or more readable in terms of cost.
The issue is therefore not to choose the cheapest office, but the one whose real cost remains consistent with the company’s use, organisation and level of visibility.
Choose an office based on total cost, not an isolated price
From 10 people, the office becomes a real management topic. It involves a budget, but also time, organisation, user comfort and a certain ability to support the team’s evolution.
Comparing several solutions therefore means looking beyond the rent or price per workstation. Surface area, the number of workstations displayed, the real density of the space, included services, installation timelines, commitment level and day-to-day management must be read together. This overall view is what makes it possible to distinguish an offer that is simply attractive on paper from a solution that is genuinely suited to how the company operates.
A well-chosen office is not just an available space. It is a working environment whose real cost is understood, controlled and consistent with the way the team actually works.
FAQ
How many square metres should you plan for a team of 10 people?
There is no single rule. The surface area required depends on attendance patterns, the number of meetings, confidentiality needs, common areas and the expected level of comfort. For a hybrid team, the need may be different from that of a team present every day.
Which costs are often forgotten in an office budget?
The most commonly underestimated costs are furniture, fit-out, internet, cleaning, upkeep, maintenance, moving, meeting rooms and internal management time.
Is a managed office necessarily more expensive than a traditional lease?
Not necessarily. The displayed price may seem higher, but it often includes several items: furniture, services, cleaning, internet, maintenance or move-in support. The comparison should therefore be made in terms of total cost.
How do you compare a price per workstation with a traditional rent?
You need to look at what is included in each model: charges, furniture, services, commitment duration, flexibility, entry costs and day-to-day management. A price per workstation can be easier to read, while a traditional rent may involve more additional costs.
