Budgeting & Financial Control

THE MARIS METHODOLOGY:

TOTAL PROJECT COSTING

At Maris, we completely reject the industry standard of providing vague “estimates” based on generic square-foot multipliers. An estimate is a guess; a cost plan is a mathematical calculation. To eliminate budget creep and “sticker shock,” we execute our Total Project Costing methodology, splitting your capital into three strictly ring-fenced buckets:

1. The Hard Build (The Construction Pot):
We define the complete physical scope upfront – partition walls, mechanical adaptations and ceilings. We eradicate dangerous “provisional sums” so that the price you see is the price you actually pay.

2. The Tactile Layer (The Agile Pot):
Furniture, audio-visual tech and IT equipment frequently consume 30% of the total budget. We actively audit what existing assets can be reused; retaining and refurbishing high-quality task chairs can save 15% – 20% of this specific line item.

3. The Invisible Costs (The Soft Pot):
We capture statutory approvals, project management and, crucially, your dilapidations liability (the £15–£25 per sq ft legal cost of stripping out your old lease). By accounting for exit costs early, we protect the net ROI of the new fit-out.

THE CFO’S CORNER:

For the Chief Financial Officer, achieving budget alignment without compromising the strategic vision requires rigorous value engineering. True value engineering is never about blindly cutting quality; it is about achieving the exact same operational function for a significantly lower cost.

We execute “smart swaps” to protect the budget. For example, specifying a bespoke joinery wall is slow and expensive. By swapping it for a high-end modular veneer system, we achieve the identical aesthetic for 30% less cost while accelerating the installation programme. We advise CFOs to prioritise capital spend heavily in high impact client facing zones and apply aggressive value engineering to low impact back-office corridors. Furthermore, workplace transformation offers substantial tax efficiencies. Under current UK tax law, capital expenditure on “integral features” such as new electrical systems, modern lighting and air cooling frequently qualifies for 100% tax relief via the Annual Investment Allowance or Full Expensing mechanisms. We ensure your financial teams are equipped to code these invoices correctly, effectively allowing the tax shield to subsidise your mechanical upgrades.

MARIS TOOLS:

•  The Total Project Cost Calculator: A financial modelling tool that captures hard construction costs, soft professional fees, dilapidations liabilities and IT migration expenses.
• The Pre-Demolition Audit: An inventory assessment categorising existing assets into keep, repair or donate, ensuring circular economy savings are quantified.
• The Value Engineering Smart Swap: A directory of alternative material specifications that reduce cost and lead times without compromising the architectural design intent.