Dibsido: What should companies consider before making that decision?

Nika: Before making the first step, I always recommend bringing together HR and leadership and asking: Where are we heading? A relocation is never just for a month or a year, leases are typically five, seven, even ten years long.

If your business is in a turbulent period and you can’t predict what will happen in two or three years, a relocation might not be the right investment yet. 

But if your working model is stable, or you know it’s changing (for example, shifting from hybrid to fully remote, or back to in-office), that’s when it’s time to plan ahead.

“The key is to look not just at where you are now, but where you’ll be in the future: headcount, team structure, and ways of working. And don’t hesitate to ask for external help. A workplace analysis at the start can reveal things you wouldn’t think to ask about internally."

Dibsido: When companies approach you for help with relocation, what are the most common mistakes you see?

Nika: The biggest mistake is skipping the preparation phase. Some companies find a large, beautiful space and rush into it without comparing options or thinking through the implications.

Another common pitfall is the “friend deal.” You know, someone’s friend’s husband is an architect, or someone’s football buddy runs a construction firm, so they decide to use them without really mapping out the market. That approach often backfires.

Today, there’s a wide range of providers: from firms that handle everything end-to-end—workplace analysis, space search, lease negotiation, design, build, and move-in—to those that support only certain phases.

"Even if your company has strong legal or procurement teams, I always recommend consulting a specialist for at least an hour or two. They’ll highlight the key risk areas and save you from costly surprises later.”

Dibsido: Many companies assign relocation projects to their office manager, who already has a full-time workload. Is that sustainable?

Nika: It can work, but only if the person’s regular agenda is reduced. You can’t expect an office manager to run daily operations and coordinate a massive, high-stakes project on top of that.

Relocation is a huge investment and a complex process. If done “on the side,” people burn out or fall ill halfway through. That’s often when I get a call: “Our key person dropped out, can you help?”

The smarter approach is to plan capacity early. Decide who owns what, who has authority over budgets and contracts, and make sure approvals flow quickly. Because during construction, decisions often need to be made within hours.

If internal capacity is tight, hire temporary help or bring in an external partner. And always ensure there’s backup. The entire project can grind to a halt if key knowledge isn’t documented or shared.

Dibsido: Speaking of that: How do companies manage when one person holds most of the operational know-how?

Nika: It’s very common, especially in smaller firms. You often have one office manager who’s been there for ten years, knows every vendor and every contract, but it’s all in their head.

That’s a big risk. When I start working with clients, one of the first things I say is: “Write down what you do.” Not just what’s in the contracts, but the practical stuff: how things work day-to-day, who’s responsible for what, what the internal rules are.

Office operations are largely invisible until something breaks. But when that one person leaves, suddenly everyone realizes how much they actually did. Keeping everything documented—vendor lists, contract terms, renewal dates—protects the company and makes life easier for the employee as well.

Dibsido: When talking about relocation, how do design trends influence the office layout?

Nika: I’m not a designer myself, my role is usually to challenge the architects with practical questions. But yes, there are always trends. Clients often come and say, “We want it to look like Google or Productboard.” I always tell them that we need to fit their offices to their actual way of working.

The best results come when the client knows what they want: materials, sustainability goals, budget. Surprisingly often, companies start the project without defining a budget, or they’re afraid to share it with suppliers, which makes it hard to design anything realistic.

In terms of inspiration, I always recommend visiting showrooms, even abroad if possible. Furniture manufacturers often create living showrooms where their teams actually work, so you can see how the pieces function in real life.

The golden rule is to keep what already works for your team, and change only what doesn’t.