Office of the Month: Downing’s Flexi-Offices
LIVERPOOL-based property group Downing has given small businesses access to one of the city’s most prestigious addresses with a new no frills office service.
It has rolled out its Flexi-Offices across five buildings including the Port of Liverpool Building on the waterfront.
The service offers firms a stripped down space at affordable prices.
Monthly rents at the Port of Liverpool, where there are nine offices, start from around £200 for a 150 sq ft room. It’s also possible to sign up for short periods, such as a month, although a 12-month agreement means the first two months come at a reduced.
Downing is attempting to undercut the serviced office market and is keeping prices low by not furnishing the offices or offering phone and internet services.
The rent includes business rates, heating and electricity, and furniture is available to rent or buy. The space available ranges from 120 sq ft to 6,600 sq ft, depending on the location.
As well as the Port of Liverpool Building, Downing has made space at No 1 Old Hall Street; Victoria House, James Street; Federation House, Hope Street; Graeme House, Derby Square.
Senior agency surveyor at Downing Robin Ellis, said: “We want to give people a space, let them get on with their business and keep it as low cost and straight forward as possible.
“We’ve been getting a lot of enquiries, it tick the boxes for people. There’s a lot of demand in this area.”
He added: “The hope and expectation is that small busineses moving in will grow and they’ll grow with us and we’ll keep giving them the flexibility they need.”
Karl Duvall, director of architectural visualisation firm Shove Media, is paying £485 a month for his office at the Port of Liverpool.
He said: “We were based in Slater Street in the centre of town which is labelled as the creative quarter in Liverpool. The offices were okay, but the location was terrible. We work with property developers and getting them to come to meetings in the middle of Slater Street wasn’t easy.
“This building’s amazing and the refurbishment inside is just as good. We needed something more flexible – at the old office they were trying to sign us up to a 10-year lease.”
