By Phil Laboon
Looking for an office space is never easy, no matter where your business is located. Pittsburgh is home to some of the nation’s oldest communities, and I really wanted to give my company a sense of tradition with the move, so we did our best to scope out buildings in one of the city’s many historical districts. Looking back on it now, I’m not so sure I’d make that mistake again.
When we first began looking for an office, we intended to increase the resale value of the property. My father is a contractor, and he promised to help with any remodeling or restoration. We were sure that as long as we picked a good area, we’d be able to make our company more accessible to clients and increase the value of our assets. We were just about to enter a new stage of growth for our company, and it was an exciting first step. Unfortunately, our new office turned into a bigger headache than I would have ever thought possible.
We were quick to find a seemingly perfect location right in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Southside. While the space was in no doubt need of some extra TLC, the realtor told us that grants and special loans were available to refurbish the outside. However, the ink was barely dry on the contract when we found out that the funding period for those projects was over.
Window Pain
We desperately needed new windows. Our office manager received a reasonable quote of $2500 to replace the front windows with energy efficient, double-pane windows. However, when she went to get the permit, we found out that the company we found was not a "Pittsburgh authorized installer" and the South Side Historical Society (SSHS, which is now defunct) had to give their permission before doing anything to repair/restore the street-facing exterior of the building. Eventually, we had to commission custom-made windows from a Pittsburgh authorized installer, which cost over $5000, are not easy to clean, and are not rated as highly as the original windows we wanted (contributing to higher utilities costs).
We tried to recoup the window loss in other ways around the building. We installed cheaper, more energy efficient windows in the back and sides of the house as well as opted for energy efficient appliances and lighting. Certain operation policies, like turning off our computers at the end of the day and using equipment to its full life before replacing it, also has an impact on helping to reduce other costs.
A Lack of Color Here
To no one's surprise, the SSHS didn't approve the original colors I had picked out for the office building. Although not our first choice, we were able to find a set that still fit with our branding themes from the new list they gave us to choose from.
While it's important to define what shades of color you use in your branding materials and logo design, it's less important in your office space. Instead, use the same color theme, but understand that you may have to be a little flexible. Even if you're not dealing with a historical society, something that looks good on paper may not look so good on your walls.
I Hope This Isn’t a Sign
One of the specialty loans, which was originally available but later revoked, would have paid for a hanging sign to match the other shop signs on our street. Although we missed the low-interest loan opportunity, our office manager looked into getting our own sign. Again, we had a good price from a local sign company, but the operator was not a Pittsburgh-authorized installer and the sign company the SSHS used would have been over twice the price. On top of that, we would have had to get a separate insurance policy with the City of Pittsburgh in case it fell and someone sued.
Instead, we had our company name made into professional decals that we applied directly onto our huge front windows. We also had smaller decals made that we positioned on the tall glass panels of our front entrance. While not as prominent as a hanging sign would have been, we were still able to create a proud way of displaying who we are.
The Easy Part
We had thought the interior would be the most challenging part, but after the extra expense and hassle we had with the exterior, it was actually a relief to work on the inside. With my father’s help, we were able to have it completely repainted. We got a new kitchen, new carpeting, new flooring, new light fixtures, and more. Everything on the inside was completely redone with no problem whatsoever.
I would recommend that anyone looking to buy an older building do their due diligence and make sure it is not in an "historical" location. The amount of extra money and frustration we spent over just the exterior was simply incredible. If we knew then what we know now, we could have bought a building like ours one street over and not had to put up with all of the nonsense.
Phil Laboon is an accomplished internet marketer who has consulted everyone from Fortune 500s to Tech Startups; he founded the Pittsburgh-based SEO firm, Eyeflow Internet Marketing at just 20 years old.
