An office fit-out commits 800 to 1,500 euros excl. VAT/m². This guide quantifies the ROI levers — space, absenteeism, energy — and builds a business case that stands before the board, for occupiers and owners alike.
"How do I justify the investment to the committee"
A vacant workstation represents 8,000 to 12,000 euros per year, including real estate charges. On a 100-workstation floor that is 50% occupied, the annual loss exceeds 400,000 euros. Without an occupancy assessment, oversizing goes unnoticed and weighs on operational profitability.
The cost of musculoskeletal disorders and stress linked to an unsuitable environment reaches 13,500 euros per year per employee. An absenteeism rate of 7%, compared with 4% on average in the services sector, reflects a warning signal that the committee cannot ignore.
The tertiary decree requires a reduction in final energy consumption of at least 40% in 2030 compared with 2010 for the tertiary building stock. A non-compliant building risks publication on Legifrance and sanctions. The regulations also govern ergonomics and workplace safety, two items regularly underestimated in initial business cases.
Kytom builds an operational business case, defensible before the committee, structured around three quantified levers: reasoned densification (gain of 15 to 25% of floor area), employer attractiveness (reduction in turnover measured by HR) and energy performance aligned with the regulatory target of -40% consumption in 2030 compared with the reference year. Present since 2006 with 11 agencies in France and Spain, our project managers have delivered more than 1,200 fit-outs and calibrate ROI against verifiable sector benchmarks. Every assumption is documented, every euro invested tied to an indicator. The real estate department obtains a file ready for decision, the company head a solid financial narrative incorporating accounting depreciation, operating savings and HR value creation. This model also serves owners, property companies and asset managers: the business case sheds light on the value enhancement of an office asset after works, the case for a turnkey fitted floor plate to speed up letting, or the rental performance of a converted asset. Our dedicated asset management teams apply the same financial rigour on the landlord side.
Occupancy audit over 2 to 3 weeks, measurement of presence rates by zone, HR and business interviews. Deliverable: a quantified framing note incorporating the current real estate cost per workstation, absenteeism indicators and a reference sector benchmark.
Construction of a 5-year financial model: fit-out CAPEX, avoided OPEX, floor area gains valued at the Cushman & Wakefield market price. Deliverable: a spreadsheet defensible before the committee, low/median/high scenarios, sensitivities tested on occupancy rate and inflation.
Detailed preliminary design with plans, furniture choices (professional ranges such as Vitra or Herman Miller as a technical reference), costing compliant with Qualibat standards. Deliverable: consolidated tender documents, 12-week schedule, environmental assumptions selected according to the ambition decided with the real estate department (energy performance level, indoor air quality, choice of low-carbon materials).
Works execution, handover, then post-occupancy measurement at 6 and 12 months: satisfaction survey, actual occupancy rate, energy consumption. Deliverable: ROI report compared against the initial assumptions, a decision-making basis for the subsequent phases of the real estate portfolio.
"The Kytom financial model transformed an emotional subject into a rational decision. The committee approved a budget of 1.1 million euros in 30 minutes, on the basis of a 28-month payback."
A well-framed project pays back in 2 to 3 years. The levers are densification (15 to 25% of m2 saved), lower absenteeism (2 to 4 points) and energy savings (up to 30%) aligned with the regulatory obligations applicable to the tertiary building stock.
You value the reduction in turnover, whose replacement cost is estimated at 9 months of salary, and the reduction in absenteeism, assessed at 13,500 euros per employee per year. These two items often represent 40% of the total ROI.
The observed ratios range between 10 and 14 m2 per employee in flex office, compared with 18 to 22 m2 with an assigned workstation. The decision depends on the actual measured presence rate and the managerial culture validated with HR before budget framing.
For an asset intended for leasing or resale, yes: a rental premium of 7 to 11% is observed on certified assets. For a pure occupant, the decision hinges on the regulatory obligations to reduce energy consumption of the tertiary building stock and on the employer brand.
Present three quantified scenarios (low, median, high), document each assumption with sector benchmarks and tertiary market data, propose a post-occupancy measurement milestone at 12 months. The committee decides on figures, not on intentions.
Allow 12 weeks of works after approval of the tender documents, preceded by 6 to 10 weeks of programming and design. That is 4 to 6 months between the committee's decision and the teams' effective move onto the new floors.
The levers differ: where the occupier values space savings, absenteeism and energy, the owner reasons in rental value, speed of letting and the premium on an asset brought up to market standards. The mechanics of the business case stay the same — documented assumptions, quantified scenarios, a post-completion measurement milestone. Our asset management teams build this landlord case as a mirror of the occupier file.