Hi all, With all the discussion surrounding the possibility that we may need to find a new home for SkullSpace, Awesome Michael, Colin and I had an informal brainstorm to try and put some hard figures to the time and money it would cost to move to a new location.
I would like to mention ahead of time that it is still important to look for space, as we need to know our options for real estate. Actually getting photos, hard numbers will help us a lot. Our estimates are just that; we had to consider a number of scenarios. How many people would we assume are helping? Would we require a professional to do certain work, such as electrical, or do it ourselves? Would we enjoy the same amount of support from individuals and companies that we had enjoyed when we first started SkullSpace? We tried to represent a realistic scenario where the decision to move was approved and we now had to execute the "plan." This is meant to be a fair and open estimate. Pre-amble: Some of these steps can happen simultaneously, but they've been broken apart for clarity. Step 1: Begin looking for space. ***Estimate: 3-12 hours Notes: - Time totally depends on how quickly we find a space. We could find a space almost immediately or it may take us weeks/months. 3-12 hours is an estimate given a week of considering spaces. Step 2: Discussion with SkullSpace/vote on new space/make deal with landlord ***Estimate: 15-20 hours Notes: - Time to thoroughly discuss and hear proposals, announce proposals and set a vote date, hold vote - Sign paperwork with landlord, set up method of payment for rent, discussion with landlord Step 3: Develop/approve/consult floor plan for new space ***Estimate: 10-15 hours Notes: - Likely, a new space could be an open space with pillars, much like how SkullSpace was when we first moved in. We would need to measure the new space and most likely draft a CAD plan - Lengthy discussion of how we should divide space for which room, which "services" we would provide (lounge? classroom? dark room?) - Presentation of floor plans and vote by membership Step 4: Move to new space ***Estimate: 60-120 hours Notes: - This is a very rough estimate. This is assuming we have five dedicated people who are willing to move stuff at least once a week for eight hours. - Allow $200 for getting some kind of large truck/trailer to move things - Allow 6 hours and three dump trips @ $11/trip to dispose of materials that we deem trash/not keeping/need to dispose of such as furniture, etc. - Are we able to negotiate early access with the new landlord to begin moving stuff in before we have to pay? The current landlord did not allow this so we need to at least consider that for one month we may have a double-rent issue, where we're paying our current rent and the rent at the new location. Allow $1000 as a conservative estimate for this. Step 5: Takedown of existing networking/data/security lines to be reused at new location ***Estimate: 20 hours Notes: - All CAT5 currently in the space and the server room - Door entry equipment from door frames and data lines for them - Allow $200 if we need to get our own software to operate the door access system; currently we are using AssentWorks' software Step 6: Insurance/paperwork updating ***Estimate: 3 hours Step 7: Occupancy/building permit Estimate: 5 hours Notes: - Do we go the "legal" route and obtain permits, or do it on the fly to save money? - We would need to apply, submit printed plans to the city, and pay for permits - Allow at least $200 for both permits as a conservative estimate Step 8: Build new space to suit ***Estimate: 85-265 hours Notes: - A very rough estimate again because we don't know where we're going. It may be an open space needing walls and electrical and heat distribution, or we may take over a space with existing rooms that we somehow make do with - Construction of walls, deletion of walls we don't want, modifying of existing walls, running electrical in walls estimated at 10-100 hours, and $0-3000, with a much higher (estimate a few thousand more) number than $3000 if we require a professional electrician to do the work - Distribution of heat? Installation of baseboard heaters? Ducting? Estimate included in note about walls above - Wiring of new door access control hardware and system. Estimate 15-20 hours - Lighting may be required if it doesn't suit our needs, or if we build new rooms. Estimate 0-80 hours and $0-1000 if we do the work (running cabling, installing) and estimate more if an electrician is required to do the work - Installation of new networking cables/data lines. Estimate 60 hours. Colin has stated that if we move he won't be eager to do this work and won't do it alone. - Installation of electronic strike/access control at outside door. Estimate $800-1000. This is what it cost for us to get the door at 125 Adelaide modified to use an electric strike, and we split the cost with AssentWorks. We can't take it with us if we were to move - Set up internet access. Estimate 5 hours if we do the work. We have no idea if the building we get into has a direct line of sight to VOI's towers, or even if we could relocate our internet to the new location. We may require a tower on the roof again and that is subject to the new landlord's approval. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***Grand total estimate to move: 203-460 hours, $1000-$6600 The dollar estimate assumes at the low end we have to get a truck and a new front door. The high end assumes all costs, that we have to extensively renovate the new space, obtain permits, software for doors, etc. Likely, the real number is somewhere in the middle of this estimate. Already, we are into step one, where we are now looking for space (Jay and I are meeting some property owners downtown tomorrow). Our current costs/time to stay: - $2500-$3000 for previous electrical bills, which may be able to be paid off over a longer period of time. At 3 years, $69.40-$83.30/month. At 2 years, $104.17-$125/mo. At one year, $208.33-$250/mo. - 10-20 hours to remove a few sets of doors and insulate some walls - Estimate $3000-$5000 for electrical renovations, a cost which doesn't need to be spent all at once (we could do room by room) - $1000-$1200 for a proper electrical metering solution that splits the cost between AssentWorks and SkullSpace ***Grand total estimate to stay: 10-20 hours, $6500-$9000 I welcome any debate on these numbers and expect revisions and different opinions. ~Justin _______________________________________________ SkullSpace Discuss Mailing List Help: http://www.skullspace.ca/wiki/index.php/Mailing_List#Discuss Archive: https://groups.google.com/group/skullspace-discuss-archive/
