The Ultimate Guide: Different Types of Office Spaces

What are the different types of office space?

Even before the pandemic years hit us, traditional ways of working were being turned on their head.

So, gone are the days when you had to tie yourself down to a long-term lease. But with so many choices, which type of office space is right for you and your team?

With 99.9% of the UK’s business population made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), businesses are in control of their destiny. Today’s modern businesses demand flexibility, better amenities, and state-of-the-art technology.

An office is no longer just a space to “do business”, it’s a haven for creativity, teamwork and collaboration. Consequently, the office workspace market has exploded to cater to the demand.

Traditional Office Space

The most formal of all office settings, the traditional or conventional office space used to be the main option available to British businesses.

While you can often brand the internal and external space to uniquely showcase your business, traditional office spaces are expensive to set up and manage. You’re responsible for everything from maintenance to utility bills. Additionally, you’re often tied into a long-term lease, anything between 5-10 years, which can make it challenging to move on when your needs change.

Co-working Spaces

Co-working spaces are becoming increasingly popular with everyone from start-ups to long-established businesses and can significantly reduce the loneliness associated with home or virtual working. Often vibrant, yet professional environments, co-working spaces are designed to encourage a sense of community.

These flexible working spaces provide a standard, furnished work area as well as access to shared amenities, like kitchen and toilet facilities. Many co-working space providers offer workspaces across the UK, so you, your teams and your clients can benefit from a consistently-designed space and amenities, whether you’re working from London or elsewhere.

While co-working spaces are created with team working and creativity in mind, they remain high-quality work environments. You’ll often be able to access private meeting rooms or phone booths, which can lend a professional tone to your operation, without the unnecessary restrictions of a long-term lease.

Co-working spaces can help you to achieve a better work-life balance. Many are located in the heart of dynamic cities, such as Manchester or Birmingham, that are full of restaurants, theatres and galleries, so you can hop from desk to social engagement effortlessly. Designed to fit in with your lifestyle, you can rent them by the month, or even by the day if that suits your needs.

Private Offices

While there’s no doubt that basing yourself in a co-working space offers an abundance of networking opportunities, there may be times when you need a private office to work from.

Private offices provide you with the peaceful, professional environment you need to work without distraction and without the overhead (or hassle) of managing that space. You can customise your private office space to suit your individual needs whilst still enjoying all the amenities that come with a shared working space, including kitchens, toilets, reception and security staff, and even high-speed internet.

In cities like London, traditional office space is not only expensive, but it can be in extremely short supply. It’s not surprising, really, given London’s transport links and reputation as the UK’s business hub. Renting from a dedicated coworking site can give you the best of both worlds – private office space in London when you need it, alongside breakouts and collaborative spaces.

Serviced Offices

Imagine moving into an office and finding that it’s already fully equipped with everything you need to be productive, from day one. With a serviced office, you’re getting exactly that. Serviced offices are pre-furnished working environments, with all the furniture and office equipment you’ll need to get going – right down to the filing cabinet.

Nowadays, serviced offices are configured with businesses in mind. That means they come with all the amenities you’d expect, including internet and communication networks. There’s a serviced office to fit every business, whether you’re looking for a professional private office in Manchester or a hot desking environment in Edinburgh. Plus the spaces are fully serviced, so you don’t need to worry about hiring cleaners, receptionists or security staff.

Discover Different Types of Office Space with Spacepool

Here at Spacepool, we believe that your time is precious. That’s why we’ve made finding your perfect office space hassle-free with our wide range of private offices, coworking spaces and serviced offices across the UK. From London to Manchester, we’ve got the ideal office space for you and your business. Simply filter your search based on your team size, location, and budget, and we’ll do the rest.