We’ll help you understand the condition of your commercial property before you sign on the dotted line. Our qualified building surveyors will carry out a commercial property survey, inspecting the building and supply a detailed report of their findings. This includes identifying any defects and liabilities, along with providing repair and maintenance.
A commercial property structural survey provides a thorough analysis on the construction of a property, identifying any building defects or the presence of hazardous materials such as asbestos. The report offers suggestions for immediate repairs and advises on future maintenance for the property, to assure that the office space meets health and safety requirements. A swanky office is nice (and we’ll get to that later), but a safe one is essential.
When moving offices, there are several moving parts and getting a survey completed can seem like yet another expense that could potentially be saved. However, getting a comprehensive survey can prove to be highly cost-effective in the long term.
With most commercial leases, tenants are liable for property repairs and maintenance, so it is crucial to understand the condition of the property you are signing into. Identifying any long-term costs can open the floor to negotiations, meaning that we can work together to finalise a deal tailored to the needs of your business. We help devise a long-term plan to mitigate liability at the end of your lease to minimise costs and maximise value.
When purchasing a property, a survey can offer you as a buyer some protection in terms of uncovering any issues early on, and these can be remedied and costs amended accordingly. Even in the case of preventative surveys — catching issues early on can avoid headaches and substantial bills for either party.
The cost of a commercial property survey generally depends on the size of the building that is being surveyed, and the detail of the survey required.
Having a team of in-house building surveyors allows us to factor this into the total cost of relocating and provide you with as much information as possible for the lowest cost. Commercial property surveys also provide insight into hidden costs, allowing us to negotiate a better deal for you. As a guideline, a commercial property survey can cost anywhere from £1200 for a small property up to £10,000 for a large premises that requires a survey over the course of multiple days. There are a multitude of factors that affect cost, including the depth and breadth of the survey, the overall size of the premises to be surveyed, and the type of survey (acquisitions, disposals, condition surveys, for example).
When it comes to signing an office lease, mistakes can be costly – so it’s important to get it right the first time. Our expert team are here to offer advice and guidance on the findings of your commercial property survey every step of the way, answering any concerns you may have. With your interests in mind, we provide you with all the information you’ll need to be able to sign your new office lease with confidence and clarity.
Identify risks before you commit
Experienced, in-house qualified building surveyors
Potential money saver
A commercial property survey can cover many stages throughout the lifespan of a building, from a sale or purchase, ongoing refurbishments or following new additions or constructions, as well as damage caused by things like flooding.
A commercial survey is typically much more detailed than a residential survey and, thus, is much broader and more complex in scope. It will typically look at things like the nature of the construction of the building, the condition of the materials used, and individual items such as chimneys.
Depending on the specific survey involved, the detail of a survey can be split into broad sections:
A snapshot that can be used by decision-makers to assess what the overall condition of the building is, and how this might impact any financial decisions. This is very top level and should be easily understandable at a glance by any stakeholder.
Information to help someone unfamiliar with the property and its exact details such as overall size, construction method and configuration/layout. The primary goal is to give an overview of the nature of the building and outline the extent of the survey performed.
An explanation of each section of the survey which was carried out, what it looked at and to what extent, as well as an estimate for any required repairs or restorations. This will typically be broken down into sections covering things like electrical, structural, and mechanical items to enhance readability. It covers the main detail of the items surveyed and in-depth information about the findings. It will also detail individual items such as roof inspections, damp, or alterations, and anything else specified outside of a typical survey scope.
Legal information such as those for health and safety stipulations (including things like asbestos) as well as fire risks, and wider legal issues such as listed building status. Depending on the nature of the survey, this can go into detail around accessibility, and energy efficiency ratings where specified. It might also cover items which are specifically noted within the terms of a lease.
The key part – a summary of the costs involved to cover all of the remedial items to bring the property to standard, whether for a purchase, new lease, or other reason. The exact details of a commercial property survey can vary significantly depending on the nature of the survey as well as the size of the building and the scope of the survey itself.
Finding a surveyor who has the required qualifications and you can trust with the safety of your property can be daunting and time-consuming. Finding one that’s close to your property, has your interests in mind, and can do the job to your timescales and requirements is even more difficult.
At Making Moves, our team has collectively decades of experience in arranging surveys for a range of commercial properties for properties big and small. Don’t leave it to chance – consult with experts in the field, and we’ll ensure your peace of mind, and can offer everything you need whether refurbishing or finding a new office space.
Commercial surveys are undertaken for a range of purposes. These can range from preventative, to those required when buying or selling a property. Some of the more common types are:
These surveys are performed before a purchase goes through so that the buyer can understand the exact detail of the property. It will typically include details on structural elements, as well as materials and overall condition, covering state of repair, and often an estimated cost for refurbishment, and whether this may influence the overall purchase cost.
Performed when a building is up for sale and possibly in a dilapidated state. These surveys can expedite a potential sale, and give buyers the peace of mind required to know that a property is in sound condition and appropriately valued.
These can be performed for a number of reasons, but are generally used to highlight defects, issues, maintenance, or compliance issues which need to be resolved ahead of a particular type of use.
These are done to understand the need for repairs or dilapidations at the end of a lease so that the building is back to specification required to hand back to the landlord.
Typically performed so that a building owner can bring a property into general use. It highlights any obvious physical defects and the overall scope of work required to bring it up to condition. Specific issue surveys might cover individual items which need potentially need attention such as subsidence, damage surveys, or assessments of individual items like chimneys.
Understanding the need for a commercial property survey can save money for either a tenant or a landlord in the long-term, so whether you’re purchasing a new premises, or refurbishing an existing office space, contact our expert team of surveyors and we’ll help you understand which survey you need and how much you can expect to pay, as well as find you the best surveyor for the job.
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Example scenario
We carried out a building survey of Mind’s office in East London. Our follow up report identified a number of costly maintenance issues, which would affect their longer term occupation of the space. The findings of the report were fed into the ongoing lease renewal negotiations with the landlord, with the intention of securing a more competitive rent.
