Frequently asked questions
How does Sketch Labs work?
👉🏽 Get in touch and tell us what you're looking for. If you're not sure about how much space you'll need or where to start, we know the process and will help you figure it out.
👉🏽 We'll deliver a sleek proposal straight to your inbox showcasing the options we think you'll love.
👉🏽We'll arrange viewings on your behalf, attend them with you, and ask the questions you didn't know to ask.
When you've found the one, we'll negotiate a great deal, and assist with contractual matters. Easy.
Why should I use Sketch Labs?
Quite simply, because you have more important things to do (you know, your real job). Often people aren't too sure where to start with office hunting, who to trust, or what questions to ask. That's where we come in. We'll take the entire search off your hands, and make the process exciting.
We're here to stop you from wasting your time on google, and to consult and direct you down the right path. Unlike most brokers, we keep your details confidential so you won't be contacted by anyone other than ourselves (no one appreciates endless sales calls).
We also attend the viewings with you, and make sure to ask all the necessary questions. Best yet, we can negotiate a brilliant deal for you that's within budget, as we work closely with our wonderful partners and put our insider knowledge to good use.
What fees are involved?
Here's the best part: if you’re after a serviced office, our service is completely free (bring transparent, we take a fee from the office provider). Not only do we negotiate a great deal to save you money on your rent, we also save you time.
If you’re after a private leased office, you’ll pay us a % fee of your first year’s rent (this is industry standard, and we're happy to say that our fees are lower the big agents).
Do you do serviced offices, coworking, or private leases?
We do the lot! Whatever you're looking for, we'll find it.
What's the difference between serviced and private?
Typically, you can group offices into three types: serviced (also known as fully-managed), private leases, and a new 'hybrid' model.
A
serviced office is your ready-to-roll package – think of a WeWork building. You usually pay per desk, and it's one all inclusive cost per month, so you can move in with your desks and all the fancy extras waiting for you. You can easily scale up or down in size, so they're brilliant for start-ups and scale ups. Typically you sign a 12 month contract, but it can be longer or shorter, and you'd need to pay a deposit between 1-3 months upfront.
Private leases are slightly different, in that you're renting the space as a blank canvas, so you can kit it out exactly how you'd like and make your mark (which of course you'd need to budget for). Unlike a serviced office, you're only paying the rent on the space, and so you're responsible for paying business rates, service charge, internet and managing all the utilities separately. Typically you'd sign a much longer contract (think 2 - 20 years), and so it's typically popular with more established companies.
The new and growing
hybrid model offers the best of both worlds. It varies between each hybrid provider, but usually allows companies to take a space, and work with the provider to create a bespoke floor plan (want an extra meeting room here and a ball-pit for the office dogs over there?), and pay one inclusive price for internet and everything else. Essentially, a fully managed office that's completely yours.
I don't know what type of office I need – help!
Don't worry – that's exactly what we're here for! Get in touch, and we'll run through your needs and help you figure out what's best for your company.
How quickly can Sketch Labs find me an office?
As quickly as you need it. Typically a serviced office will take one week to finalise (but it can be quicker if you're a whizz at signing forms), whereas a private lease typically takes longer. The best way to figure it out, is to get in touch.
Do you cover the whole market?
Yes! We cover the whole of London, and work with all the big providers as well as smaller independents, along with private landlords. Importantly, we'll go on a deep dive during your search, and if we uncover any new spaces we'll partner with them to make sure we leave no stone unturned.
Which locations do you cover?
Currently, we only operate in London. Next step: world domination.
Will you come to the viewings with me?
We love to attend the viewings with you, so we're there to ask the questions you might not think of, answer any questions, and we can pivot and adapt your search there and then if we need to. Realised you need a much bigger space, hate carpet, or absolutely must be within a skip, hop and jump from the Piccadilly line? We'll sort it. Remember, we're there to consult not sell.
How is Sketch Labs different?
Simple: referrals before commission. We want to break away from the 'trader' type brokers who chase figures.
Instead, we offer a boutique service. What does that mean?
👉🏽 We'll never dish out your number to any providers (so you won't get hounded by calls)
👉🏽 We'll act as your one port of call
👉🏽 We'll always do what's right for you – not for us
Our providers love working with us because we take the time to invest our personalities into every avenue of the industry. Clients love us because we make their lives easy, and save them money. Sketch Labs might be new on the scene, but we're very well known!
How much money can you save me?
We'll never guarantee a figure or put a generic number out there to reel anyone in. Yes, we typically negotiate a great deal for our clients, which they wouldn't be able to get on their own. But we pride our service on more than that – it's the time you save, and our expertise that makes our clients sing our praises.
How does the Wellness Design process work?
We handle the entire process from initial concept through to installation (along with the not-so-sexy areas of safety compliance). We can 3D print models so you can feel fully confident in the finished product before we start. As well as our revamps, we can also manage full Cat A fit outs, working with biological builders to ensure the space is grounded and EMF shielded.
What's involved in the Wellness Design service?
Each project is bespoke, and we can go as wild as you like. We can reconfigure the entire layout for the best productive and positive working environment, incorporating standing and walking desks, permanent or ‘pop-up’ movement and zen studios, living walls, plants, meditation devices, AI-powered exercise bikes (that don’t make people sweat but get results – yes, really!), and more. We’re able to go as far as installing circadian lighting, aircon and shielding the space from EMFs, down to the nitty gritty of consulting on personal development programmes.
Can you make custom installations and functional art too?
Yes indeed – we can create functional art that's as boujee as you. Josh & Jamie (our designers) have transformed a classic Porshe into a soundproof phone booth, and we can turn otherworldly ideas into reality. From bending steel to casting resin, we can do it all.
