The CAT A+ office has been rising in popularity over the last few years and is a viable alternative for many companies to co-working spaces. But what is it, who is it for, what are the benefits?
A CAT A+, or Category A+ fit out, is essentially the middle ground between CAT A and CAT B. It provides a CAT A fit out of a building with some basic design features that get it ready for a business to move into. Because of this, the CAT A+ office is now considered to be a viable alternative for both landlords and tenants to co-working spaces.
Landlords have been looking for new ways to challenge the rise in coworking spaces, a market which continues to grow. According to urbanYVR, experts are forecasting that by 2030, flexible workspaces could make up as much as 30% of commercial real estate.
Tenants have raised their expectations for workspaces too, expecting more flexibility and shorter leases. As SMEs and small enterprises make up 99% of the UK’s businesses, typically looking for around 10,000 square feet of space, CAT A+ offers a plug and play office for businesses who might not be able to commit to a full CAT B fit out.
There’s also a trend of occupiers reducing real estate and making their spaces adaptable to larger teams, meaning that landlords have more empty space to fill.
With this in mind, we explore CAT A+ and explain the benefits to landlords and tenants alike.
There are benefits to this option for both the tenants and the landlords. A CAT A+ fit out gives tenants the opportunity to move into an office space with minimal adjustments and investment. It reduces the upfront costs, and gives them the ability to move in quickly, and easily with little fuss.
This option also gives tenants the ability to move into a workplace and add flashes of their brand personality and identity, something that a co-working space wouldn’t. However, although the initial outlay will be lower, over the long-term fees will be higher for tenants.
A CAT A+ fit out is a great option for landlords. It will often allow them to attract a wider range of prospective tenants than a CAT A space, as it allows for immediate occupation, meaning the space will be empty for less time, making it much more attractive to prospective tenants.
Landlords can also target a wider variety of tenants with a range of lease terms for the different spaces in their development. And, although the initial investment will be higher, CAT A+ office fit outs will have higher profitability in the long term due to higher rates and shorter rent-free periods.
Lease terms are also typically more flexible, which gives benefits to both sides. As the space will largely stay the same from one tenant to the next, landlords can have a quicker turnaround, whilst tenants no longer have to sign up for long-term leases. At the end of the tenancy, it becomes easier, cheaper and often more civilised to hand everything back over.
From a sustainability point of view, it’s also less wasteful as there’s no need to remove everything and completely refit the space since a freshening up could make it ready for the next tenant.
Learn more about CAT A and CAT B office fit-outs. Or contact us to find out how we can help you with your upcoming project.
Note: some industry terms and practices can vary between different office fit out contractor. So it’s worth checking in with your chosen provider.
The CAT A+ office has been rising in popularity over the last few years and is a viable alternative for many companies to co-working spaces. But what is it, who is it for, what are the benefits?
A CAT A+, or Category A+ fit out, is essentially the middle ground between CAT A and CAT B. It provides a CAT A fit out of a building with some basic design features that get it ready for a business to move into. Because of this, the CAT A+ office is now considered to be a viable alternative for both landlords and tenants to co-working spaces.
Landlords have been looking for new ways to challenge the rise in coworking spaces, a market which continues to grow. According to urbanYVR, experts are forecasting that by 2030, flexible workspaces could make up as much as 30% of commercial real estate.
Tenants have raised their expectations for workspaces too, expecting more flexibility and shorter leases. As SMEs and small enterprises make up 99% of the UK’s businesses, typically looking for around 10,000 square feet of space, CAT A+ offers a plug and play office for businesses who might not be able to commit to a full CAT B fit out.
There’s also a trend of occupiers reducing real estate and making their spaces adaptable to larger teams, meaning that landlords have more empty space to fill.
With this in mind, we explore CAT A+ and explain the benefits to landlords and tenants alike.
There are benefits to this option for both the tenants and the landlords. A CAT A+ fit out gives tenants the opportunity to move into an office space with minimal adjustments and investment. It reduces the upfront costs, and gives them the ability to move in quickly, and easily with little fuss.
This option also gives tenants the ability to move into a workplace and add flashes of their brand personality and identity, something that a co-working space wouldn’t. However, although the initial outlay will be lower, over the long-term fees will be higher for tenants.
A CAT A+ fit out is a great option for landlords. It will often allow them to attract a wider range of prospective tenants than a CAT A space, as it allows for immediate occupation, meaning the space will be empty for less time, making it much more attractive to prospective tenants.
Landlords can also target a wider variety of tenants with a range of lease terms for the different spaces in their development. And, although the initial investment will be higher, CAT A+ office fit outs will have higher profitability in the long term due to higher rates and shorter rent-free periods.
Lease terms are also typically more flexible, which gives benefits to both sides. As the space will largely stay the same from one tenant to the next, landlords can have a quicker turnaround, whilst tenants no longer have to sign up for long-term leases. At the end of the tenancy, it becomes easier, cheaper and often more civilised to hand everything back over.
From a sustainability point of view, it’s also less wasteful as there’s no need to remove everything and completely refit the space since a freshening up could make it ready for the next tenant.
Learn more about CAT A and CAT B office fit-outs. Or contact us to find out how we can help you with your upcoming project.
Note: some industry terms and practices can vary between different office fit out contractor. So it’s worth checking in with your chosen provider.