If you have started looking for an office in Chester, you will have noticed that prices are quoted in very different ways. Some are a monthly figure with everything included. Others are a rent per square foot with the real cost hidden in business rates, service charges and bills. This guide explains what a private office at ShiftWorks costs, what the figure includes, and how to compare it fairly with the alternatives.
The short answer
A furnished private office at Royal House on Upper Northgate Street starts from £450 a month plus VAT. Prices scale with the size of the room and the number of people in it, so a two person office sits at the lower end and a team of eight pays more. Over on the Wirral, offices at Market Street in Hoylake start from £400 a month, and Lake House offers larger offices with their own reception on a quote basis.
What the monthly figure includes
The number you are quoted is the number you pay. Every private office at ShiftWorks comes with:
- A fully furnished, modern office with desks, chairs and storage
- Superfast internet, heating, lighting, electricity and cleaning
- Use of the meeting rooms and boardroom, subject to fair use
- Kitchen and breakout areas with tea and coffee
- A registered business address with a dedicated locked mailbox
- Printing, scanning and copying
- Access around the clock, every day of the year, with biometric entry at the door
- Member events and discounts
There is no fit-out to pay for, no deposit on a broadband line and no separate invoice for the cleaner. The only extras are the things you would expect to be extras, such as printing beyond fair use and catering for a client meeting.
What changes the price
Three things move an office up or down the range. The first is size: the number of desks the room comfortably holds. The second is position, since rooms with more natural light or a view of the street are in higher demand. The third is the building. Chester city centre commands a little more than Hoylake, which is why the same office is from £450 at Royal House and from £400 at Market Street.
What does not change the price is how long you stay. Offices are on simple rolling agreements, so a team that needs a base for six months pays the same monthly rate as one settling in for three years.
How it compares with a lease
A conventional lease looks cheaper on paper because the headline rent is only part of the story. On top of it you would normally budget for business rates, a service charge, buildings insurance, utilities, an internet connection, furniture, a fit-out, cleaning, and a legal bill for the lease itself, plus the cost of putting everything back at the end. Leases also tend to run for three to five years with a deposit up front.
For a small team the arithmetic usually favours a serviced office until you reach a size where you need a whole floor of your own. More importantly, the all-in fee turns a dozen unpredictable costs into one line in the accounts, which makes planning for the year a great deal simpler.
How to compare quotes
When you are weighing up offices in Chester, ask each provider the same questions so the answers line up:
- Is the price per month, per desk or per square foot, and does it exclude VAT?
- Which bills are included, and which arrive separately?
- How much meeting room time is included, and what does extra time cost?
- What are the access hours, and is there a charge for out of hours access?
- What is the notice period, and is there a deposit?
- Is the furniture included, and what happens if the team grows?
If you would like a figure for a specific team size, see the office options in Chester or tell us how many of you there are and we will send the options at Royal House and in Hoylake, or show you round. Tours take about twenty minutes and run Monday to Friday.
