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Stay or leave? Decide on the figures.
Real estate strategy

Stay or leave? Decide on the figures.

Every triennial break opens a window: renegotiate or relocate. We cost out both before you decide.

11 cities covered
1 200+ spaces transformed
66 passionate people

“Our lease is ending, we’re torn between staying and leaving, and no one has the figures to decide.”

What our clients tell us.

You will recognise your situation if…

  • The lease expires within 12 to 24 months.
  • Headcount has varied by more than 15% since 2020.
  • The landlord proposes a rent revision deemed high.
  • Employees report acoustic, thermal or meeting-room issues.

Issues and impacts

Hidden cost

A poorly negotiated renewal often costs 80 to 120 €/sqm/year too much in rent over 9 years. On 850 sqm, the cumulative gap reaches 600,000 € to 900,000 €, not counting recoverable charges and the Île-de-France office tax (24.01 €/sqm in zone 1 according to Légifrance 2024).

Human risk

Nearly 38% of employees consider their work environment unsuitable. An ageing, un-renovated site accelerates turnover and hampers the return to the office, already limited to an average of 3.1 days per week in the tertiary sector.

Regulatory risk

The tertiary decree requires a 40% reduction in energy consumption by 2030. A building rated E or F exposes you to a costly action plan. Regulatory obligations on workplace lighting and ventilation also apply: a non-compliant site generates CSE reservations and an employment-tribunal risk.

Stay or leave?

Before the property decision, not after. We deliver four things: an audit of the site you occupy (technical condition, compliance, real capacity), a discreet market study of your micro-sector, a costed stay-vs-leave comparison on total occupancy cost, and a reasoned recommendation. The difference: these figures come from teams that build, not from a spreadsheet. No commitment, confidential, independent of any landlord.

Our method

  1. 1. Diagnose

    Technical audit of the site (acoustics, thermal, utilities, compliance), occupancy count over 20 working days, manager interviews. Deliverable: a 25-page report with scoring out of 100 and a list of R4214 non-compliances. Timeline 3 weeks for an 850 sqm floor.

  2. 2. Frame

    Definition of the target programme: ratio of workstations, meeting rooms, informal spaces, net usable area. Benchmark of the local market and identification of 4 to 6 real-estate alternatives. Deliverable: a framing note and comparative grid of renewal versus relocation over 9 years.

  3. 3. Design

    Layout sketch for the two selected scenarios, costing of tenant works per sqm (range 800 to 1500 € excl. VAT), post-renovation energy simulation, break-even calculation. Deliverable: a 40-page decision file presented to the executive committee with a reasoned recommendation.

  4. 4. Deliver

    Management of the chosen scenario as general contractor: lease negotiation or outgoing condition report, detailed 12-week schedule, trade coordination, handover and snagging. Deliverable: an operational floor at D+84 days and a maintenance log for the facility manager.

Cost and ROI

Cost range per sqm
800 to 1500 € excl. VAT/sqm
Tenant works across all trades, excluding furniture, depending on initial condition and target finish level.
Timeline
12 weeks on average
Excluding the upstream diagnostic and framing phase, which typically requires an additional 6 to 8 weeks.
Typical ROI
Payback in 3 to 4 years
Through a negotiated rent-free period, regulatory energy savings applicable to the tertiary portfolio, and sensible floor densification.

An anonymised field account

"The quantified 9-year comparison unlocked the decision at the executive committee. We renewed by negotiating 14 months rent-free and financed a complete renovation."

14 months of rent
Negotiated rent-free period
-31% consumption
Energy savings
+22% effective workstations
Useful densification

Frequently asked questions

Our lease is still a long way off.

That’s the right time. A decision prepared 18 to 24 months before the break keeps your negotiating leverage; prepared under pressure, you lose it.

I don’t want word to get out.

The market study is discreet and the diagnostic stays between us. Nothing leaves — not to a landlord, not to your teams — until you decide.

We’d rather think it over internally.

The diagnostic doesn’t replace your decision, it equips it. You leave with figures you can defend, whether or not you hand us the next step.

Can a running lease be renegotiated before the break?

Yes, through an amendment, often in exchange for extending the firm term. The diagnostic tells you what that lever is worth in your case.

Does the tertiary decree force a relocation?

No: it requires a downward consumption trajectory, not a move. If the existing site is energy-hungry, a heavy refurbishment can rival a relocation — which is exactly what the diagnostic costs out.

Who should own the decision internally?

The trio of general management, property management and facilities, with the works council informed early. You leave with a single file that serves the board decision.