Flex office or your own office? An honest comparison
A flex desk is cheap if you use it occasionally. But the moment you’re there regularly — and certainly with a small team — the bill adds up fast, while you never get your own space, calm or image.
Your own unit at Rondaire 8 costs a fixed, predictable amount, no matter how often you’re there or with how many colleagues. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
| Flex office | Your own unit at Rondaire 8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per workspace, per day/month | Fixed amount per unit |
| Cost with regular use | Climbs quickly | Predictable and equal |
| Cost with a growing team | Scales up per workspace | Stays equal within the unit |
| Lowest rate | Often only with a 24-month contract | Clear, fair lease term |
| Access | Often office hours only | 24/7 for everyone |
| Meeting room | On credits/surcharge | Free, fair use |
| Calm & privacy | Shared, busy, changing | Your own calm space |
| Your own image | Generic, provider-branded | Your office, your name |
| Parking | Often separate/paid | Free on-street; own spot on grounds optional |
| Neighbours | Ever-changing strangers | A steady community of entrepreneurs |
The cost logic
Flex providers charge per workspace, per day or per month (with coworking subscriptions, often per person). If you only need a desk now and then, that’s fine. But use flex regularly — especially with a small team — and it climbs: every extra workspace is another line item, with meeting rooms and services on top. The more workspaces and the more often you’re there, the higher the bill — while you still have no space of your own.
At Rondaire you pay one fixed amount for your own unit — regardless of the number of days and (within the unit) regardless of headcount. That amount is all-in (excluding VAT, including service charges and internet) and is listed per available unit on the availability page. During a no-obligation viewing you can first see whether the space fits. The rule of thumb: use a workspace more than a few days a week and you’re usually cheaper off with your own unit — and with a team the difference is large, because your fixed unit price doesn’t scale with the number of workspaces.
Mind the small print of flex too: the lowest rates often only apply with 24-month contracts. The flexibility you’re paying for then largely disappears.
The downsides of a flex office, honestly
- No calm — shared, busy spaces with changing people; focused work and confidential calls are hard.
- Nothing personal — no fixed spot, no name on the door, no space you set up your way.
- No image of your own — you receive clients in a generic, provider-branded setting, not in your office.
- Paying per workspace — for a team that scales badly: every extra workspace is another line item (with coworking, even per person).
- The headline price isn’t the final price — meeting rooms, extra days and services run on credits and surcharges.
- Pseudo-flexibility — the sharpest rate often requires a long contract.
Meetings: free, on fair use
At Rondaire you book the meeting room free of charge, through a simple sign-up system — like reserving a tennis court. No credits, no surcharge: you book it when you need it, on fair use among the tenants. At flex providers every meeting costs credits or a separate booking.
Who it’s ideal for
For businesses with a small team — partners, colleagues or employees — who want to work together in one place. You pay for one unit instead of a per-person subscription, you have your own calm space 24/7 with your own image, and you meet for free. Exactly the place where a small, growing business feels at home and representative.