Commercial Building Surveyors in London & Surrey

The acquisition of a commercial property, whether on a freehold or leasehold basis, should be accompanied by an in-depth understanding of the condition of the building or development. A building survey may therefore be required by any of the following stakeholders:

  • Owners and/or occupiers of commercial premises, office suites, retail units, industrial and warehousing space etc.
  • Leasehold owners/tenants of commercial premises who have a responsibility to maintain the property
  • Investors and/or owners of property portfolios including residential blocks of flats and commercial developments

The task of the commercial property surveyor is one of the most important aspects of any property transaction and should serve to ward off potential problems in the future. Tim Greenwood & Associates can undertake detailed surveys on virtually any kind of commercial property, whether you are buying new commercial premises of modest size or investing in large-scale industrial space. We are the commercial surveyors across London, Sussex, and the South East that you can count on.

What does a Commercial Building Survey include?

The purpose of a commercial property survey is to assess the state of repair of your property asset and identify any building defects. The results inform the client’s brief and future investment and spending plans, enabling short-term and long-term maintenance schedules to be planned effectively. Areas covered include:

  • Assessment of the building’s condition prior to purchase or lease, identifying building defects and suggesting necessary repairs.
  • Providing specialist advice on managing and supervising building maintenance.
  • Giving up-to-date advice on building regulations and property legislation.
  • Project management to ensure works are completed to schedule and on budget.
  • Providing guidance on sustainable construction, energy efficiency and the environmental impacts of a project.
  • Advising on health & safety, disability and disability-related matters.
  • Preparing Schedules of Condition and Schedules of Dilapidations.

At Tim Greenwood & Associates, our commercial property surveys provide you with detailed advice on the physical condition of the property, including known issues as well as potential future faults that may have important ramifications further down the line. We can also arrange for the inspection and testing of any electrical or mechanical services. Where required, we can provide indicative costs for any remedial works that we would consider essential or worthwhile.

A commercial building survey can form a standalone assessment, or be part of the decision-making process for drawing up works specifications for larger commercial property assets or residential developments.

Which Commercial Property Surveys are available?

An understanding of the different types of commercial building surveys will help you choose the most appropriate solution for your property asset. Depending on the property, the lease and any plans you may have for the building, we can customise our commercial survey to suit your specific requirements.

Building Survey

A Building Survey is a detailed report on the building’s physical and structural condition. It highlights any defects and advises on remedial works and future maintenance. The document will specify the building’s construction – brick, steel, reinforced concrete etc – and the presence of any hazardous materials such as asbestos. For commercial leaseholders, it is important to understand their future repairing liabilities and how this can affect lease negotiations, while freehold purchasers may use the survey results to renegotiate the sale price.

Defects Analysis Report

The Defects Analysis Report focuses on a specific building defect issue to provide further insights, outlining the cause and recommending actions to reverse any damage to the property. Structural movement and subsidence, damp issues and timber decay are the most common areas of investigation. Sometimes, previous misguided non-specialist advice will have led to the situation being made worse, requiring remediation.

Schedule of Condition

For commercial landlords and tenants alike, a Schedule of Condition is a useful, detailed benchmark report of the physical state of the property at a particular point in time. The report will contain photographs to document the original condition that the property will have to be returned to at the end of the lease term. Having a Schedule of Condition in place can avoid contentious litigation and can potentially save thousands in repairs.

Schedule of Dilapidation

A Schedule of Dilapidation is normally carried out by the property owner at the end of a lease to be able to establish the repairing obligations of the tenant and to resolve a potentially contentious situation without resorting to legal action. Where dilapidations are found to be considerable, our building surveyors in London and the South East can act as intermediaries in negotiations, either on behalf of the landlord or tenant.

Contact us today to get your free quote for a building survey in London or any surrounding areas.

Tim Greenwood Chartered Building Surveyors

Tim Greenwood & Associates is a team of seasoned Chartered Surveyors with experience in all aspects of building surveying, having built up an excellent reputation for industrial and commercial building surveys in London, Surrey and the South East.

With a combined 45 years’ worth of experience in the industry, our Chartered Building Surveyors can provide professional guidance and specialist advice to commercial clients in all sectors, delivering added value for your business.

For more information or to discuss your requirements for a property survey in London or the South East, please get in touch by calling 01737 829070 or filling in the contact form.