I hear this all the time, most recently several people at a seminar last weekend: Beware of CAM (common area maintenance) costs in leases. They can increase your lease cost considerably because they are calculated on your square footage. A $5 a month CAM on a 1200 sq. ft. office costs $6000 a year in extra leasing costs! Don't let it stop you from leasing the office, if everything else is ok, but you need to be aware of the extra cost and figure it into the cash flow section of your business plan.
On a related note, one grad told me she was quoted over $100,000 for build-out in a new building (what's called "A" space). YIKES! Much of that was for the x-ray room. Many chiropractic offices these days don't have x-rays, because digital x-rays are easier to use and send. Find a willing clinic and send your patients to them. You may have to work with the x-ray techs at the clinic to get the kind of x-rays you want, but it's certainly worth it to save on the cost of x-rays. AND, you can create relationships with the people at the clinic for referrals and for them as patients.
I also got a call from a student who wanted to lock in a lease for a building that was "just perfect." The only problem was that he would not be able to open his office until 2008. Leasing companies won't wait that long, and you certainly don't want to spend money while you are a student. One lesson I've learned is that if there is a fish on the hook, there is usually a bigger and better one still swimming around. Don't hesitate to walk away from a deal.
Check out my other blog for a great story about this: Good luck? Bad luck?
My book Leasing Your Office could be helpful to you in this process.
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