Frequently Asked Questions

We offer a completely FREE and IMPARTIAL office search and advisory service to both individuals and companies that are looking for office space, meeting rooms, virtual offices and business services.

As part of our FREE service we also provide a SOURCING service that takes into account all of your requirements including location, size, budget, services and timescales. In other words if you can’t see what you are after on our website, then call our advice line on 0845 222 2077 and we will do our utmost to source several options that match your criteria.

You will have a single point of contact for all your office/business service requirements, thus avoiding being inundated with unwanted phone calls and e-mails.

We do all the hard work for you. Once you have provided us with all the information in regards to your search, we will carry out further searches on your behalf and then put together several suitable options that are bespoke to your needs.

We can arrange all viewing on your behalf, organise all the quotes that you require and provide you with any advice and guidance that you may need in order to help you decide which solution is best for you.

What ever type of space you are after, Office Direct will be able to help. However, our top searches are listed below and include brief description.

Serviced Offices

A Serviced Office is an affordable all in one solution that enables both individuals and companies to acquire a fully equipped, fully furnished and flexible office space.

This option is very FLEXIBLE as it enables you to take the space that YOU require as and when you need it. In other words you only pay for what you need, when you need it, which in turn is great for expansions, short term projects or even downsizing.
Another great feature of Serviced Offices is that the length of the lease (licence) can start from as little as 3 months upwards. (In certain circumstances even shorter)

All Serviced Offices include business rates, services and most bills, which in turn means that there is only one convenient bill to pay. Also as prices vary according to the size, solution and services required, it is usually possible to find several options to fit within most budgets.

In addition to the above, all Serviced Offices have a team of friendly support staff at hand who will ensure that everything is setup and ready as per your specifications for when you move in. This will avoid any unnecessary down time for your business that is usually caused by decorating, cabling, furnishing and general fit out. This in turn will enable you to make a great saving from the get go, both in terms of the fit out cost and the man time that would have otherwise been lost by your business.

Managed Offices

Similar to serviced offices in terms of lease/licence agreements, however have fewer services and facilities available.

Commercial Office Space

This is your traditional/conventional office space that is available to rent on a long term lease of a minimum of 3 – 5 years.

You are provided with empty space and are responsible for all bills and business rates. In addition you will have to decorate, furnish and fit out the office to your own specifications.

Virtual Offices

This option is ideal for both individuals and organisations that want to give a company presence in either a single location or multiple areas, without actually having to take out a full time office.

Virtual Offices come in many options from business address only packages right through to the all singing all dancing solution which includes such features as a full time UK based receptionist (Ideal for message taking and call handling)

The great thing about taking out a virtual office is that the address that you are given is a real office building (Not a PO Box). This means that you can meet clients within the reception area and hire out meeting rooms or hot desks as and when you need to (Usually at a discounted rate)

In addition because all centre staff are made aware of your company, should an occasion arise whereby somebody just turns up at the building without your knowledge, you can rest assured that the situation would be handled in the most professional way. You would also be notified and your client would be none the wiser as to the fact that you are not actually based there.

Meeting Rooms

Offices Direct are proud to be able to offer meeting rooms for any purpose right across the UK. They can be hired out from as little as 1 hour at a time, and are available in hundreds of options starting from a 2 person interview room right up to a large theatre style layout. (Room sizes and layout can vary dependant on the venue)

Most meeting rooms are fully air-conditioned and are supplied with pens, paper, water, sweets and a flipchart as standard. (Some exceptions may apply) In addition to the above there are many other services and facilities available at a nominal charge, such as catering, audio/visual equipment, IT connectivity and administrational support.

There are many differences between serviced and conventional offices. However the main differences are as follows:

Serviced Offices have flexible licence terms, starting from as little as 3 months upwards.

They also enable you to take on extra space as and when it is required, this is a great solution for businesses that expand faster then anticipated. It is also a perfect option for businesses that may require additional space once in a while for short term projects. On the other hand, should you decide that you have too much space, it is far easier to downsize in a serviced office.

Serviced offices also make your move in (Transition period) a smooth, pain free journey, as everything is prepared and configured to your specifications.

The main difference has to be flexibility, in terms of options and length.

A Licence agreement is a very quick, straightforward affair that does not require the assistance of a solicitor. (Of course you are free to show it to your solicitor if you so desire) Whereas a Lease agreement is a much longer process that is more involved and will require legal advice and guidance.

A Licence agreement is usually signed upon renting a serviced, semi serviced, managed or virtual office. The terms and length of agreements are very flexible and start from as little as 3 months, 6 months or 12 months (longer if you so desire), making this the ideal solution for businesses that want the security of knowing that they can modify their solution quickly and easily should their requirements change.

A conventional Lease agreement is usually a long term binding contract that is signed for a minimum of 3 – 5 years. It is also not as straight forward to make changes should your business demand it, as you are legally bound to the terms and conditions for a much longer period.

Due to the fact that everybody’s requirements are very different in terms of size and solution, pricing can vary from the budget/economical option right up to the prestigious; hence it is almost impossible to publish pricing on the website. However, once you have made your enquiry, either via completing our online form or by calling our advice line, we will be able to get accurate quotes based on your specific needs. We will also send you a detailed report based on your search, which may include some general guide pricing for other solutions that match your criteria.

This is very easy, all you have to do is let us know about the properties that you are interested in, along with the time and date for when you would like to view.
We will then arrange a viewing schedule on your behalf to ensure that somebody is available to show you around and answer all your questions. We will also send you an e-mail confirmation of this schedule for your reference.