London Office Space

The Best Postcodes in Central London for Your Office

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Dusk view down the River Thames of the illuminated Tower Bridge spanning the river with a purple and blue cloud-strewn sky in the background and riverbanks lined with buildings with postcodes in Central London.

Following the widespread adoption of remote work during 2020 and 2021, the majority of industry sectors are returning or have already returned to the office.

During this period, employee expectations regarding the office environment have changed. For example, many companies now report that staff increasingly demand shorter commutes, dedicated collaboration and relaxation space within the office, and upgraded amenities.

As a result, many business owners are considering downsizing and/or relocating their offices so the new location meets the needs of existing staff and future hires.

Since location is a key consideration, let’s look at what the most desirable central London postcodes are for your office in 2023 and beyond.

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City of London Office Space Rental Costs & Vacancy Rates 2021

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2021 started off with gloomy forecasts for the London commercial property market. According to market analysts, the outlook for the first half of the year was to be dominated by soaring vacancy rates, which were expected to reach a 10-year-high.

In Central London, changes to vacancy and supply rates have certainly been a constant for the past few quarters. In this part of the city, increasing vacancy rates have been mainly driven by the release of large amounts of secondary and Grade B space.

Earlier in the year, vacancy rates in the City were slightly over 10%, but supply was still rising, so they were expected to continue increasing. However, the second quarter arrived with a decline in vacancies, which ended up averaging 8.7% across the City. Despite the improvement, at more than 6.5 million square feet, these are the highest availability rates since mid-2012.

The second quarter of the year also brought some improvement in office take up rates. While these are still significantly below the ten-year average, there was a quarterly increase of over 20% across central London.

However, demand remains rather weak and take up for Central London offices is largely down when compared to 2020 figures. Although demand is weaker, it is still there with an increased focus on quality office space, whether it is new, refitted, or retrofitted to a high standard. The majority of demand so far has come from the public sector, professional services, insurance, and financial services companies.

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An Overview of Coworking Spaces in London

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London offers a wide variety of coworking spaces located in high spec buildings, complete with modern facilities, no initial capital commitments, and excellent flexibility with no exit costs.

Coworking spaces are highly appealing to businesses for a number of reasons, chief of which being the fact that they’re commonly plug ‘n play, no matter if you’re looking to rent a single desk or an entire floor. With coworking spaces there is no need to worry about buying furniture, committing time and effort to fit outs, and negotiating tedious lease agreements.

In addition to their plug ‘n play nature, coworking spaces in London provide:

  • Flexibility: In terms of the cost and length of contracts, which makes this type of space suitable for small businesses and helps them manage their finances better during the initial stages.
  • Range of Options: The growing popularity of this office space arrangement means that there is a wide range of options to choose from.
  • High Specifications: Modern facilities in high-spec office buildings, whether they are purpose built or refurbished.
  • Networking Opportunities: An open plan and communal atmosphere that promotes collaboration, networking, and can help establish new partnerships that could be crucial to the development of a business project.
  • Inexpensive Start up: No initial capital or financial commitment required, and no exit or disposal costs.
  • London Prestige: Provides an opportunity to enhance brand image due to London’s prestigious reputation as a global business hub.

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London Commercial Property Market 1st Quarter 2020

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London’s commercial property market entered 2020 with forecasted supply constraints and substantial rental growth. During the initial weeks of Q1, the market moved as anticipated.

Offices

Take-up levels were off to a slow start of the year, which translated into above-average availability. Average vacancy rates in Central London neared 4%, but they increased to 10% in East London. Office take-up in the West End and the Tech Belt remained stable. The business services sector was behind most transactions, accounting for approximately a third of all deals during Q1. Other key occupiers were banking, finance, technology, and creative.

The largest deal of the quarter involved offices in the EC2 postcode, although overall, the City of London remained the most sought-after destination. Outside of the City, Hammersmith and White City commanded the largest number of enquiries.

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London in top place as the world’s most expensive office market

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The London office property market has cemented its position in top place among a host of prestigious global property markets for the third year running.Throughout 2014, several indicators suggested that the average cost of office floor space in the capital was rapidly rising. Take up rates rose consistently during 2014, and so did the level of transactions and the amount of office space under offer. This year, London has consolidated its position as the most expensive office market at international level, ahead of key global players like New York or Hong Kong. Take a look at the details behind the stellar performance of the London office property market.

London: The world’s most expensive location for office space


A recently released Cushman and Wakefield study entitled ‘Office Space Across the World’ published a comparison of rental costs between some of the world’s most desirable office locations, which in addition to London included New York, Hong Kong, Paris, Sydney, and Tokyo. London came in top place as the world’s most expensive office market for three consecutive years. Over the past year, average office rental values in the city have increased by 4.6 per cent. The cost of office floor space in London is still far from returning to pre-recession values, as it remains 13% per cent lower than its 2007 values, but market analysts predict that the current trends are here to stay. As the availability of office space continues to decline, prices will rise even further throughout 2015 and beyond.

The main reason behind this upward trend is the ever-shrinking gap between supply and demand. London’s reputation as a global business centre attracts both entrepreneurs and experienced business owners to the British capital, and the effect of unwavering demand on the commercial real estate market is obvious. In the West End, supply has been dwindling since 2007, and currently vacancy rates hover around 3 per cent. This has allowed landlords to rise prices accordingly, pushing average costs to a new record high of £1,681.40/ m2 per year. To put this figure into perspective, consider the average costs of prime office space in the world’s second and third most expensive locations. In Hong Kong, office space in the central business districts averages £1,173.54 / m2 per year, whereas in New York average costs are in the region of £833.53/ m2 per year. Increasing costs seem to be a global trend, since during the past year office rental values have grown by an average of 7 per cent across the major global office markets. Continue reading “London in top place as the world’s most expensive office market” →

London Office Space 2015: Farringdon

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Farringdon is strategically located just outside of the financial and economic hub of the City of London. Along with Clekenwell and Shoreditch, the area makes up the City Fringe North. It is one of two City fringe areas, with the other located to the east and comprising of Aldgate, Spitalfields, and Tower Hill.

Office Space in Farringdon

Farringdon refers to a historic area around Farringdon Station in the London Borough of Islington. Comprising of the wards of Farringdon Within and Farringdon Without, Farringdon is split between areas that once lay inside and outside the London Wall. Like many parts of London just north of the City, office space in Farringdon features warehouse and factory conversions. Sizes typically range from 1,500 to 5,000 square feet, according to property consulting firm Carter Jonas. The area often attracts media and creative industries looking for more affordable office space than traditional locations like Covent Garden, North Oxford Street, and Soho. The northern City fringe also attracts companies in the technology sector, particularly due to its close location to capital markets for tech companies in nearby Shoreditch and popular business incubator programmes in the area. Continue reading “London Office Space 2015: Farringdon” →

London Office Space Website Relaunch

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London Office Space logo

We are very excited to announce that today the LondonOfficeSpace.com website relaunched with an entirely new look and feel.

Marketing Manager, Kate Aird, said, “London remains one of the most popular cities in the world for companies of all sizes and types, and the LondonOfficeSpace.com site fills a vital role in helping people find the right space to establish a new business or grow an existing one.

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The History of the London Wall Buildings

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The London Wall is a defensive wall built by the Romans in the 2nd or 3rd century from Kentish stone; it formed the foundations for the later City Wall which historically defined the boundaries of the city. The wall protected the city from invasion and contained the Great Fire of London. It underwent some demolition during the 18th and 19th century and many parts were destroyed in the bombings during the Second World War. Today, part of the route of the wall is followed by the road named London Wall, from Aldersgate and east to Bishopsgate.

The remaining sections of the wall have been protected in gardens and museums or incorporated into the construction of modern buildings. The largest and best preserved section of the London Wall stands at Tower Hill, just north of the Tower of London at nearly 11m tall. During the 17th Century, other buildings were put up either side and parts were destroyed during construction. In the 1930s, the buildings which obscured this section of the wall were cleared away and it is currently preserved by English Heritage. It can be easily reached by train as it is situated opposite Tower Hill Station.

At Tower Hill Station itself there is a section of The London Wall preserved in a green space beneath the underpass, encircled by walkways for commuters to view. When the station was built, the site was excavated and on discovering the fragmented remains of the wall, construction was redesigned around it. From Tower Hill station, north along Coopers Row sits the Grange City Hotel one of whose courtyard walls incorporates a section of the Roman wall with medieval additions. Continue reading “The History of the London Wall Buildings” →