commercial space for lease in Overland Park

10 Tips for Moving Your Business to a New Kansas City Office Space: Part II

You’ve found that perfect space and now you’re ready to move…or are you? Double check to make sure you are not forgetting anything as you pack up your business! Here are a few helpful tips to help you pull off a smooth move:

3. If you are planning on hiring a moving company…Call a mover 1-2 months in advance. You will want to get several price quotes and check for proof of insurance. Bear in mind that moving companies will move everything—including full refrigerators or garbage cans—so make sure you take care of perishable items and other moving decisions in advance.

4. Mark Your Boxes. Especially if you are hiring a moving company, you will want to clearly label your boxes on the tops and sides so that you can find items quickly if you need to get to something before you move or immediately after. It will be harder to find items if you only mark the tops of the boxes, so do not forget about the sides. If you have a lot of boxes (hundreds), you might consider creating a numbering system to avoid losing items. Number boxes along with a short description of what is inside them. If you number the boxes and the moving company loses any, you will have an easier time making a claim.

Keep checking back for even more posts with business moving tips!

If your business is looking to relocate to a new commercial space for lease in Overland Park, give a commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call to find out about all of our available spaces!

10 Tips for Moving Your Business to a New Kansas City Office Space: Part I

Moving your business to a new office building in Overland Park can be an expensive, stressful, and time consuming process. Here are some tips on everything from packing, to moving computers, to insurance that might help you prepare for the big move:

Start packing early if you are moving yourself. You never want to wait until the last minute. If you have decided to move your business yourself, begin packing up office items that you do not regularly use as soon as possible. Most movers underestimate how long it will take to pack by as much as several days. If you have a large inventory to go through, add a few weeks to how long you estimate it will take you to pack. To save a little on moving costs, think about buying used boxes and packing supplies.
Donate office items that you do not need. Moving is a great time to get rid of some of those old copiers, phones, printers, PC’s, office furniture, and even office supplies that you no longer use or want. Instead of paying for moving these unnecessary items, take this opportunity to recycle them and get your business a tax break for donating to a registered charity.

Check back for more tips on packing up and moving your business!

If you are looking into executive office rental in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100 to talk about moving your business into one of our available spaces!

Checklist of Conditions for Your Office Rental Space in Kansas City Lease: Part I

It is important to closely go over every word of your lease before you sign it, and it would be especially helpful to have a checklist in mind of some information that you want included in the lease. Here are some suggestions for what the lease should at contain, at minimum:

The name and contact information of the landlord or the name of the company that is representing the landlord. If there are problems down the line, who you are making the agreement with will affect your legal remedies.
Name of the person or company acquiring the space (you). Remember that if the lease is in your name, you will be the one who is personally responsible for the terms of the lease.
The start date and length of the lease. A word to the wise: if possible, do not sign a five year lease!
The cost of the deposit the lease requires and whether or not it is refundable. Will the landlord insist that you pay painting or cleaning fees when you leave? How much might these cost?

Check back to later posts for more items you might want to include on your checklist before signing your lease! Going over these things carefully before finalizing the agreement could save you from dealing with issues down the road.

Looking for commercial space for lease in Overland Park? Give us a call at 913-685-4100 and let us help you find the office rental space in Overland Park that is perfect for your business!

How to Calculate Square Footage for Commercial Real Estate

Commercial real estate rental rates are not calculated the same way as residential leases. Residential rental rates are often determined by looking at similar rentals in the area, whereas monthly rent for commercial property is a little more complex and based on several types of square foot measurements. Most commercial leases charge rent based on “rentable square feet” versus “usable square feet.” Here are some definitions that might clarify these terms:

Usable Square Feet – Square footage of space actually occupied by the tenant
Rentable Square Feet – Usable square footage + a percentage of the square footage of the common areas. Common areas are the parts of the building that all tenants use, such as hallways, elevators, stairwells, and lobbies. The percentage of square footage of common areas is divided up among tenants on a prorated basis.
Gross Square Feet – Total square footage of the entire building.

Thus, when a tenant is paying a rent according to rentable square feet, they are paying a part of the landlord’s expenses for the common areas in addition to their usable square feet. This practice of adding common area expenses and usable square feet is called the “load factor,” and the load factor typically increases annually at a rate that is different from rent increases for your usable square footage. This can all be very complicated and confusing, so before you even take a tour of a space, be sure to ask the realtor over the phone about the monthly rates for both usable square feet and rentable square feet.

We can help you figure square footage for your business using our office space calculator. To find out more about the size and rates of our commercial space for lease in Overland Park, give us a call at 913-685-4100!

The Pros and Cons to Subleasing Commercial Realty in Kansas City

There are a few different pros and cons to subleasing commercial space for lease in Overland Park:

Pros:

Taking over another company’s space can be a great way to get a short term lease at rent rate that is below the market value. Sometimes you can get a sublease for 10-50% less than the regular lease rate. The shorter your sublease term, the lower the rate.
Sometimes the outgoing tenant might be relocating to a different state or going out of business and might be willing to sell your business their office furniture and equipment at a good price.

Cons:

The downside to signing a shorter sublease is that your company will most likely have to move out at the end of the least term (whether you have outgrown the space or not), or pay the current market price to remain in the space. If the market price jumps up 30% during your year-long sublease, you might wish you had signed a five-year lease.
The subleased space usually comes as is, which means a landlord will not provide tenant improvements like private offices or new carpet. Your business will have to pay for any necessary improvements, which might not be a cost efficient path if you are only planning on staying in the space for a short time.

Consider these different benefits and downsides of renting a subleased space as you search for your best office rental space in Kansas City option.

To learn more about Southcreek’s available spaces, give us a call at 913-685-4100!

Broker’s Fees for Finding Commercial Realty in Kansas City

If you are thinking of working with a real estate broker, you might first want to find out a little about their fees. Here is some more information about what commercial real estate brokers charge:

The broker’s fee usually corresponds to the size or complexity of the transaction. There are some standards in the industry for brokerage fees, but since it is a commission-based arrangement, often the fees will vary.
Fees usually consist of a percentage of the financial value of the lease being negotiated. Often leasing commissions are about 5-6% of the aggregate lease value, which is the term of the lease plus monthly rent. Usually these fees are limited to only the first 10 years of the term.
Fees are often negotiable, but property demand will factor into the likelihood of you getting a lower fee. For instance, a broker may lower a fee in a depressed real estate area just to make a sale.
Be sure you know in advance exactly what you are getting charged in advance, and be aware of any additional fees for performing a search, listing a property, or any other services.

Be sure to check carefully into what you are being charged for and know what is a normal price when you begin working with a commercial real estate broker.

If you would like to learn more about commercial space for lease in Overland Park, give a DDI commercial real estate broker in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100!

Since real estate agents and brokers are in this business to make money, they can, on occasion, put their own needs ahead of yours, by turning down potential deals from which they cannot make enough money on a commission. This is neither ethical nor legal. Make sure that if you’re selling a property, the agent or broker adheres to the law and tells you about all offers, even if some are low and won’t yield the hefty commission checks they’d prefer.

Southcreek Office Park Available Space from 10,000 – 12,830 sq. ft.

Southcreek Office Park not only has plenty of options for small office lease in Kansas City, but also plenty of larger rental spaces too! Whether you want an entire building just for your business, plenty of individual offices, or a blank slate of open office space for you to get creative with, we can help you find what you are looking for. Here are just a few of our large business rental spaces:

10,000 sq. ft. This two-story flex building is located near I-435 on Metcalf. It includes a first floor and corner suite, and has an attractive lease rate.
11,424 sq. ft. located in Building XIIA. This space just became available as of July 2012. The first floor suite includes 25 individual offices, multiple break areas, a conference room, and interview rooms. It also has signage available.
12,830 sq. ft. located in Building III. Building signage for this campus-like setting is negotiable. The space includes 5 windowed offices, a health room, a PC lab, a conference room, a break room, a lobby, a reception area, and a vast amount of open office space for you to design according to your business’s needs.

These are just a sampling of our commercial space for lease in Overland Park for large businesses. To take a tour of any of these spaces or to find out about bigger or smaller suites, give us a call at 913-685-4100!

South Creek Overland Park Building IVA

If you are hunting for commercial space for lease in Overland Park and you want a building that offers both access to the amenities of a thriving community and a natural setting, Southcreek Office Park Building IVA might be a good fit for you! Here are some details about the building:

Address: 7301 W 129th Street Overland Park, KS 66213
Total Square Footage: 37,159 sq. ft.
Number of Floors: 3
Year Built: 1995

Space Available:

2,399 sq. ft. of office space is available in Southcreek IVA divided into five individual offices and a large open office space that you can arrange to fit your needs.
Another suite offers 1,819 sq. ft. of office space divided into a reception area, break room, a closet, three offices, and an open office area.
A 1,536 sq. ft. suite with a reception area, a work room, some open office space, and two individual offices would be a good fit for a small metro business in Kansas City.

This building has a good lease rate and it also offers easy access to nature for those who like to step out of the office every now and then. Southcreek IVA is situated near a lake with a nearby walking trail, and the building itself is well lit by natural light from its many windows.

If you want to find out more about Southcreek Building IVA or you would like to find out more about our many office buildings located in Overland Park, give one of our commercial real estate brokers in Overland Park a call at 913-685-4100.