In short. Coworking is the most flexible, a fitted office gives a team its own private space on a lease with no fit-out project, and a bare shell is the cheapest to rent but the slowest and most expensive to set up.
On this page
Hong Kong has four common ways to get office space. The names overlap in practice, so here is how we use them.
The four options
| Coworking | Serviced office | Fitted office | Bare shell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | Desks, rooms or a membership in a shared space | A private room or suite run by an operator | Your own floor or unit with the fit-out in place | An empty floor |
| Commitment | Usually short and flexible | Varies by operator | A lease, typically 2 to 3 years | A lease, typically 2 to 3 years |
| Privacy | Limited | Good | Full | Full |
| Your own brand and layout | Limited | Limited | Your brand, a fixed layout | Fully custom |
| Set-up time | Days | Days to weeks | Weeks | Months, because of the fit-out |
| Cost shape | Per desk or per room, rising with headcount | A monthly fee for the suite, usually including services | Rent and management fee, plus deposit | Rent and management fee, deposit and a fit-out bill |
Terms vary by operator and building, so treat the table as a guide.
When coworking is right
You are a small team, headcount is uncertain, or you want to start tomorrow. Flexibility is worth the per-person price.
When a serviced office is right
You want a private door and a managed service for a smaller team, and you prefer an operator to deal with the building, with a shorter commitment than a lease.
When a fitted office is right
You are a team of about 10 to 40, you can commit to a lease, and you want privacy, meeting rooms and your own brand without running a fit-out. It is the option between a membership and a full build.
When a bare shell is right
You need a specific layout, or a large floor where custom design is worth the time and cost. Be ready for the fit-out bill and for reinstatement at the end.
How to decide
Three questions settle it for most teams:
- How confident are you in your headcount over the next two to three years?
- How important are privacy and your own brand to your clients and staff?
- Do you want to manage a fit-out project?
If the answers are "fairly confident", "very important" and "no", a fitted office is the one to look at. Browse fitted spaces.
