Commercial Building Surveys
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If you are thinking about acquiring a commercial property in Canterbury—whether through purchase, or lease—first consider employing a commercial real estate valuer, specifically one trained to survey defects in buildings and to discern the potential impact of those defects on the lives of the people working inside them. From the standpoint of your property’s insurance viability, as well as your own peace of mind, and for the sake of the employees who may inhabit the property for years to come, do not skip this essential step.
The Benefits of a Commercial Building Survey in Canterbury
When contemplating the purchase, lease, sublease, sale, or refurbishment of a commercial property in Canterbury, you might wish to secure the services of a commercial building surveyor. Uncovering a building’s defects can either bring about a substantial reduction in the asking price of a property or, alternatively, save you from making a bad investment. One of the RICS-compliant commercial building surveys could also save you from potential legal trouble in the event of an insurance claim you might make or in a dispute with a tenant.
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Different Types of Commercial Building Survey
The accomplished team of commercial surveyors in Canterbury possesses extensive knowledge and superior quality tools to inspect all appropriate and clearly visible parts of a property. When the inspection is over, you will receive a detailed report and photographic documentation of any identified deficiencies, along with reasonable cost estimates of the necessary repairs to be undertaken.
As with residential properties, commercial properties must be surveyed before purchase. For such an undertaking, a direct hire of a building surveyor—specialised in the review of commercial building concerns—will allow for your pre-acquisition review to be conducted (pre-purchase or pre-lease assessment). Either side of the transaction has the right to such a review and may employ its own team of surveyors to conduct the same if desired.
Pre-acquisition
Before you acquire a property, you can enlist the services of Canterbury surveyors to conduct a pre-acquisition survey of the structure you are considering leasing or purchasing. This will allow you to gauge the condition of the property and whether it necessitates any immediate repairs, the nature of which you would want to know in order to realistically plan and budget for your future residential or commercial property expenditure.
Schedule of Condition
Before a property can be rented or leased, a review must be conducted to assess the condition of the building and this is part of the process that comes before servicing the building for said property. These condition schedule offers safeguards to renters, who could be vulnerable to paying unjust increases in rent, which some property owners might attempt to collect when they have not maintained the property in good order. We therefore recommend Schedules of Condition in respect of the rental and lease agreements they help to secure.
Schedule of Dilapidations
If you make your tenant responsible for any disrepair in your building, then you must provide them with a Schedule of Dilapidations. That document must clearly spell out the type of work required, give cost estimates, and project the time the work will take to complete. The document must also be in a simple format. If you are a tenant and feel that your landlord has been unfair in any way, you might want to speak with a surveyor and have them draft a report. That report can be used to give your landlord the opportunity to act fairly.
Repair and Maintenance
The vast majority of real estate hides expensive defects. The surveyor can locate these and assess just how bad they are and what it will take to make them right. This ability to “see” and to estimate narrowly makes the surveyor a kind of financial doctor whose diagnoses can safeguard your well-being and your cash flow.
Commercial Building Surveyor Canterbury, London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester & Cardiff
The price of commercial building surveys in Canterbury, London, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, and Cardiff can vary significantly based on what type of survey you’re having done and how long it will take to complete.
As a rule of thumb, the larger the property, the more expensive the survey. However, many factors can drive up the price of a survey on a similarly sized property. For example, if your property is in a more central location, expect to pay more. If your property has a uniquely challenging shape or boundary, factor that into the price as well.
When building surveyors in the commercial sector prepare a survey report, they typically rely on existing information. When that information is not available because, say, legal documents like deeds can’t be found, then the work of the surveyor becomes more complex, and the fees charged reflect that complexity.
The price is generally affected by the building’s location, condition, and the overall intricacy of the survey itself. If you want to know anything about how these fees are determined, just get in touch with us and ask.
