Costs reduced to rent
Many comparisons equate the rent with the total cost. Yet gross rent is only one part. Operation, maintenance and adjustments are often left out.
A low price per square metre says little about the real cost burden.
Figures from projects 2025–2026
Office rent: what an office really costs in 2026
A realistic cost comparison beyond rent and square metres.
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The blind spot
Why office costs are almost always miscalculated
Most office decisions do not fail because of the rent. They fail because of what never appears in the cost comparison.
Your time is never priced in
Office decisions tie up internal resources permanently. Search, fit-out, coordination and operation take up management, IT and administration.
That time rarely shows up in calculations, yet it directly affects focus.
Costs arrive with a delay
Many relevant costs do not arise at move-in but spread across the term. Retrofits, conversions and space changes are missing from the initial calculation.
Looking only at the start means clearly underestimating the total cost.
Two logics
Owning or using: two cost logics compared
Economically, a classic office resembles buying a car, while a flex office resembles a leasing or subscription model.
The ownership model
Classic office
High capital outlay up frontFit-out, technology and furnishing tie up liquidity immediately.
Running costs are deceptiveRepairs, maintenance and adjustments arrive irregularly on top.
Full responsibility for everythingOperation, organisation and problems sit entirely with the user.
Lost time when things breakOutages mean coordination, organisation and internal effort.
Hard to correctTerms and investments can hardly be adjusted flexibly.
Like buying a car: committed once, responsible for good.
The usage model
Flex office
Low start-up effortLittle capital tied up, a fast start, clear terms.
Fixed, predictable monthly costsOperation, technology and service are included.
Risks outsourcedMaintenance, outages and operation sit with the provider.
Time saved day to dayFocus stays on the core business instead of organisation.
Adaptable when things changeGrowth or downsizing are part of the model.
Like leasing: a predictable rate, responsibility with the provider.
The experience factor
Why experience is decisive in office decisions
Office decisions look comparable at first glance. In practice they differ in the detail, and that is exactly where the biggest mistakes happen.
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Spotting patterns early
Many problems follow recurring patterns: space that becomes too small faster than planned, or contracts that promise flexibility and never deliver it.
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Placing the differences
Offers can be compared, markets cannot. Between operators, concepts and contract logics there are differences that only show up in daily use.
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Judging for the long run
A good office decision does not only work at move-in. It has to hold up across the whole term through growth, change or correction.
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