Even if having a physical office is important for your company, accidentally leasing too much or too little office space can present serious logistical and financial issues for the business. Leasing just the right amount of space can help save you money, allow employees better working conditions and create a pleasant atmosphere conducive to efficiency and productivity. Before you sign the next office lease, you may want to sit down with management and go through a few crucial questions that can help you determine exactly how much space you should really be looking for. Here are the core questions you can use as a guide.

How Many Employees Are Currently Working for You?

When it comes to identifying the appropriate amount of workspace needed, perhaps the most important factor to consider is whether your employees feel at all cramped in your current office. The number of employees working for you may determine the square footage you need, both for comfort reasons and for legal reasons. For instance, there may be legal regulations that only allow a certain number of people in a space at a given time to prevent fire hazards. At the same time, even if you can legally fit more employees in a smaller space, it could negatively impact employee comfort, morale and even productivity.

Do You Need Extra Space for Specialized Industry Equipment or Machinery?

If your company is in an industry that requires special equipment or machinery that you need to store somewhere within your leased space, you may want to determine whether a given office has room for all the necessary equipment before signing on the dotted line. Additional machinery can take up a significant amount of space and may require you to choose a larger office than you think you may otherwise need.

Do You Expect To Expand or Grow in the Near Future?

Finally, be sure to take future expansion into consideration. If your business plans or hopes to grow in the near future and you’re looking at signing a multi-year lease, make sure that you won’t outgrow your office too quickly. By getting a larger space than you need now, you could help avoid a costly move in the near future.

Before your next office lease is up, you may want to work through these important questions to avoid leasing more or less space than your company actually needs. Making sure you have the correct amount of office space can be beneficial to the company budget, employee morale and general work conditions. Work through this list to ensure a comfortable office space for all.