Josh Weston MRICS, Lead Director at Fourth Wall Building Consultancy, gives his insight into the problems facing property owners and tenants, and how to plan for the future.
As we come out of what feels like a very long winter, occupiers and landlords across the region are being hit with no end of surprise expenditures. From roof leaks to damaged cladding, properties of all shapes and sizes have fallen victim to the elements.
As we work with a number of occupiers on their planned maintenance programmes for the next 5-10 years, I’ve been increasingly aware of the need to build up our clients’ understanding of their properties as we help them avoid fighting fires and plan for the future. A planned maintenance programme enables both owners and occupiers to plan any necessary works into their budget, an essential step when looking to set reliable budgets, better monitor the financial health of projects and ensure value for money is demonstrated over the life of their property.
It doesn’t take me by surprise that you may be thinking ‘but do I really need it?’. It’s certainly tempting to take things as they come, but avoiding an issue can only last so long and a forward thinking approach is essential. Reactive work more often than not proves inefficient, costly, and in severe cases results in significant failures such as water ingress or structural damage, leading to further impact on business operations and the subsequent negotiation with impacted parties who may have suffered loss of earnings as a result. A painful prospect whether that’s your own business or one of your tenants. Believe me when I say that regular maintenance is your best friend, helping prevent small issues from becoming larger issues at a later date.
I’ve seen a lot of properties in my time, and the biggest, and most common, issues I come across nearly always stem from a lack of routine maintenance. Ignoring that leak, putting off replacing those roof tiles, and leaving the potholes until they get really bad always lead to more issues down the line. If you’re leasing a commercial space, it can also mean a pretty hefty bill when it comes to your dilapidations responsibilities during or at the end of your lease.
Given the increasing need for efficient use of our resources, energy efficiency in the built environment and reducing waste, regular maintenance is an essential way of reducing deterioration of buildings and preventing unnecessary damage, ensuring properties operate at optimum efficiency, protect the health and safety of occupants, and ensure continued compliance with statutory requirements.
Simply put, a Planned Maintenance Report allows you to anticipate future costs of building work to your property so that you can budget for them and ensure repair works fit in around your business and cause the least disturbance possible. Whilst not everyone is as passionate about buildings as I am, there’s certainly something rewarding in enabling owners and occupiers to proactively maintain, manage and improve their properties for years to come.
Fourth Wall Building Consultancy is a Chartered Building Surveyors working with clients across the UK on commercial, industrial, residential and heritage properties.
The team can be found online at fourthwallbc.com or via 0114 400 0254.
