Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies	Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2014, we owned or had an interest in 32.1 million rentable square feet of in-service office, industrial and retail properties, 0.8 million rentable square feet of office properties under development and approximately 600 acres of development land. The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2014, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 89.7 million, or 96.8%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company redeemed 2,500 Common Units for less than $0.1 million in cash and redeemed 4,417 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock. Common Stock Offerings During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company issued 23,584 shares of Common Stock under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $38.29 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $0.9 million. Basis of Presentation Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2013 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations. The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 2). The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies - Continued Recently Issued Accounting Standards Beginning with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2015, we will be required to reflect in discontinued operations for only those real estate asset sales representing a strategic shift in operations (e.g. a disposal of a major geographic area or a major line of business). Currently, we are required to reflect all real estate asset sales as discontinued operations, which requires reclassification of the earnings of the sold assets from continuing operations for all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted, but only for real estate asset sales that have not been previously reflected as discontinued operations.

Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies

Description of Business

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (the “Company”) is a fully-integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that provides leasing, management, development, construction and other customer-related services for its properties and for third parties. The Company conducts its activities through Highwoods Realty Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership”). At March 31, 2014, we owned or had an interest in 32.1 million rentable square feet of in-service office, industrial and retail properties, 0.8 million rentable square feet of office properties under development and approximately 600 acres of development land.

The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. At March 31, 2014, the Company owned all of the Preferred Units and 89.7 million, or 96.8%, of the Common Units in the Operating Partnership. Limited partners own the remaining 2.9 million Common Units. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company redeemed 2,500 Common Units for less than $0.1 million in cash and redeemed 4,417 Common Units for a like number of shares of Common Stock.

Common Stock Offerings

During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company issued 23,584 shares of Common Stock under its equity sales agreements at an average gross sales price of $38.29 per share and received net proceeds, after sales commissions, of $0.9 million.

Basis of Presentation

Our Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Our Consolidated Statements of Income for the three months ended March 31, 2013 were retrospectively revised from previously reported amounts to reflect in discontinued operations the operations for those properties classified as discontinued operations.

The Company's Consolidated Financial Statements include the Operating Partnership, wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Company has the controlling interest. The Operating Partnership's Consolidated Financial Statements include wholly owned subsidiaries and those entities in which the Operating Partnership has the controlling interest. All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. At March 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013, we had involvement with, but are not the primary beneficiary in, an entity that we concluded to be a variable interest entity (see Note 2).

The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements and accompanying unaudited consolidated financial information, in the opinion of management, contain all adjustments (including normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. We have omitted certain notes and other information from the interim Consolidated Financial Statements presented in this Quarterly Report as permitted by SEC rules and regulations. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

1. Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies - Continued

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Beginning with our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2015, we will be required to reflect in discontinued operations for only those real estate asset sales representing a strategic shift in operations (e.g. a disposal of a major geographic area or a major line of business). Currently, we are required to reflect all real estate asset sales as discontinued operations, which requires reclassification of the earnings of the sold assets from continuing operations for all periods presented. Early adoption is permitted, but only for real estate asset sales that have not been previously reflected as discontinued operations.