Should I take my designer with me when looking at new office space?

So, you’re looking at relocating your dental practice and have started to search for new office space.  Are you taking your dental office designer with you and your leasing broker when you go to look at that new office space?  “What?” you say! “Why would I take my dental office designer with me to look at space before I’ve settled on one or signed a lease?”

A dental designer can help you in evaluating the office space that you’re investigating and see things about the shape and configuration of the space that you may not notice.  With the experience of designing many dental offices, a designer has an eye for how much space is needed to fit the operatories, lab, sterilization, reception, and other components into a workable traffic pattern.  Don’t forget that there are also regulatory compliance issues such as HIPAA, OSHA, and ADA (accessibility) that need to be taken into account.

Now, your broker is going to help you find a great space and negotiate a great deal on your lease or purchase terms, but your broker typically isn’t versed on the intricacies of designing a great dental office and so won’t be able to offer the best advice in how well the space will work in these regards.  This is just one more reason building a great team of professional advisors is critical to the success of a dental practice.