Viewpoint: Your workplace is your important asset, so how do you keep it in tip-top condition?

As an employer, your business is nothing without the people who work for you. Their workplace should not only feel safe and comfortable, but ideally somewhere they are happy to spend their time.

In an ever more competitive job market, the basics are no longer enough

Attracting and retaining the best people requires providing them with a high-quality environment, good facilities, fast broadband, a great location, and those little extras which are increasingly expected as standard, such as a shared workspace, break out areas, in-house food and beverage provision.

Whether investing in a wholesale refurbishment or simply making some small-scale improvements, a building surveyor should be the first call to help plan an effective and efficient project.

We can not only advise on what can be done, within the remit of your lease, but also provide an idea of the budget, timescale and planning needed. And, as experienced project managers, we could also pull together the team needed to implement the changes for you.

Prevention is better than cure

If nothing else, as an occupier you should have a proactive planned maintenance strategy in place from the moment you sign the lease or acquire the building. This will protect both your investment and your dilapidations position, if renting, by being aware of and making provision for the general maintenance of the building.

It may also flag up opportunities to make significant improvements which could benefit the business in other ways. If the internal space is going to need redecorating in five years, why not take the opportunity to do something exciting with the new scheme that really inspires the workforce?

For end of lease certainty

Knowing what will need doing, when and by whom, are all incredibly important parts of the lease negotiation for any tenant of a rented space. Do your due diligence in the first place, make sure you have a schedule of condition and that you understand your obligations, and put in place a plan to discharge them.

Failure to do so will create untold problems at the end of the lease when you’re issued with a large dilapidations claim from your landlord. It will also leave your staff feeling less than valued when the wind howls in through the windows, the heating fails and the bathrooms flood.

Helping you to plan

We’ll assist you in putting together a proactive plan together and, depending on the scope, will be able to help implement any changes to the building fabric. We can also advise on safety and security compliance and point you in the direction of a recommended specialist for any specific queries.