Office relocation can be the solution to a company’s problems with its existing space. Unfortunately, it can also cause a host of new problems. Many companies go into theirrelocations with some basic misconceptions that can lead to new spaces that don’t fit their needs and leave them in a position to have to relocate again.

1. “I’ll Get x Square Feet.”

Whether you’re relocating for more space, less space or the same amount of space, it could be a mistake to calculate your space needs based on current company needs, or even its needs three years from now. If you’re buying a building, you could be there for decades. If you’re leasing, you may need to stay seven or more years to get the best possible lease from your landlord and to effectively amortize the out-of-pocket costs for your tenant improvements. With this in mind, choosing space that can be easily scaled up or down can make it easier for you to stay longer in the same place and avoid another office relocation. Here are a couple of things that you can look for in owned and leased space:

•   Owned buildings with a co-tenant that you can expand over, or the ability to shrink your space.

•   Owned buildings with land for expansion

•   Leased space with multiple egress points for easy subdivision

•   Leased space with expansion options on adjacent spaces

2. “I Need Offices and Cubes.”

Building out your office space can give you a sense of permanence. One of the best parts of office relocation is the opportunity to customize your new workplace to suit your company’s changing needs. However, it’s likely that those needs will keep changing. With that in mind, the fewer offices and cubicles that you build and the more open space you have, the better off you’ll be if you need to move things around. When in doubt, don’t shy away from having too many small and mid-sized conference rooms. They’re useful and in a pinch, can be turned into offices or workgroup spaces.

3. “Our Current Location is Perfect!”

Your current area might be everything that you need, but it could be less desirable in 5 or 10 years. If the path of growth in your community is moving away from your area, you could find yourself on the wrong side of town in a few years. Companies that choose boutique spaces in trendy areas may find that space to be inconvenient or inappropriate if their employees or customers age, as well. Here are a few questions to ask:

•   If I recruit employees that live elsewhere, can they easily commute to my new location?

•   Where are the newest developments occurring?

•   Have any competitors moved? If so, where?

•   Is traffic getting better or worse?

4. “We Have Enough Storage and Server Space.”

When you’re designing space as a part of an office relocation, it’s easy to neglect two types of space – storage areas and the server room. However, both are very important and if undersized, they can be a major inconvenience for your business. Given that an open floor plan is usually more efficient than building out offices and cubes, you should have more than enough space to configure extra space for these two areas. In the long run, they’ll make your employees more efficient, give you a more reliable network, and save you the cost of off-site storage alongside the expense of having your workers manage and use it.