Strategic advice, practical delivery
Here to support your business to thrive
Stay Vs Go Analysis
Whether you have established your post-pandemic workplace strategy or simply have a lease event coming up, we can provide you with expert insight into the London office market, to help you make an informed decision about your future property needs.
As part of this, we will undertake a stay vs go option analysis and space efficiency audit, to present the options available to you, with projected costs.
If you choose to stay:
- Our lease advisory experts will negotiate the most beneficial lease renewal terms
- Where possible, we will negotiate on any refurbishment requirements
- Our building consultancy experts can project manage any fit-out works to ensure efficient delivery of your new space
If you decide to relocate:
- You will be given strategic advice on whether serviced or conventional office space would work best for you
- Our agents will search for new premises to meet your specified needs
- We will arrange viewings for on and off-market opportunities
- Our lease advisory and agency experts will negotiate the best possible lease terms
- Building surveyors will undertake a pre-acquisition survey to protect your interests
- We will also provide dilapidations advice on your outgoing property, negotiating the terms of exit
- We will input into legal negotiations to ensure an efficient contractual process
- Our building consultancy experts can project manage any fit-out works to ensure a move on time and on budget
- Finally, we can manage your dilapidations obligations at lease end
Relocation
Lease renewals & restructuring:
If you have a lease break or expiry in the next 24 months and decide that relocation is the best option for your business, we will provide expert support at lease exit or lease break, to protect your interests, allowing you to focus on what matters – running your business.
Lease Advice
With experience acting for landlords and occupiers, we understand both sides of the lease fence, and will use this knowledge to act in your best interests as a tenant.
Our lease advisory experts can provide expert advice and insight at lease break and renewal, as well as providing support with potential lease restructuring requirements.
Lease renewal
If you want to renew a lease on your existing premises, we will work with you to develop and implement a lease renewal strategy to complement your business aims, balancing rental costs with other requirements such as flexibility, security and cashflow. We will steer you throughout this process, to secure the most favourable lease renewal terms with your landlord.
Rent review
At rent review, we will act in your best interests to ensure proposed changes are in line with the current market. As part of this, we will carry out rent review negotiations on your behalf, to minimise your property overheads over the term of your lease. Should a dispute arise, our experienced advisers can contest the rent review, acting as Expert Witness to bring the matter to a satisfactory resolution.
Business Rates Expertise
Your property is one of your biggest overheads, which is why our team of business rates experts don’t want you to pay any more than you are supposed to, on your business rates. We will ensure that you pay only what is due, whilst exploring potential reliefs and recovery options with the Valuation Office Agency.
We will support you with:
Rating Audits – Many business are unaware that they have overpaid their business rates in the past. We can audit your historic rate demands, check they have been calculated correctly, and reclaim overpayments on your behalf.
Disturbance Refunds – If your business is being impacted by neighbouring redevelopment works, you may be entitled to a temporary business rates relief via Material Change in Circumstance (MCC). We will assess the works and their effect, lodge an appeal on your behalf, and secure the highest allowance possible.
Check, Challenge, Appeal – If there are grounds to challenge your rateable value, our rating experts will do so and will manage the process on your behalf from start to finish.
Strategic Advice & Reliefs – We will provide proactive strategic rating advice over the life of each revaluation, looking for all rating opportunities where we can save you money. As part of this, we will all explore all potential opportunities to save, including reliefs for vacant or under-utilised space or by creating savings through dividing or merge rating assessments.
Duty to Notify – Recently introduced by Government, this is an obligation for ratepayers to report material changes to their building which could affect their rateable value, to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). This can include changes to floor area, a change of use for the property, physical changes or improvements, and more. We can advise on the disclosure obligations to the VOA and how this might impact what you will pay in business rates.
Building Consultancy Services
Our team of RICS qualified building surveyors can provide you with an array of technical services to support you throughout the lifecycle of your property.
Our services include:
Pre-Acquisition Surveys – You have found a property, let us check its current condition and likely repairs needed before you commit to it. Our building surveyors provide comprehensive reports on the property construction, identifying defects, future maintenance requirements, and compliance with statutory legislation which not only allows an informed decision ahead of signing a lease, but can also help at lease end with dilapidations claims.
Schedules of Condition – Commissioning one of these before you sign a lease will save you money. Our detailed written and photographic schedules of condition will support in limiting your dilapidation liability at lease end.
Building and Fit-Out Works – If you want to refurbish, fit-out or repair your new or existing property, then our building consultancy team can help. We provide expert advice to inform the design and specification of the works, as well as supporting with procurement and project managing the works from start to finish, to ensure you get what you want, on budget and on time - every time.
Lease Exit Strategies and Dilapidations Negotiations – We will assess and fairly cost your dilapidations liability within your lease including re-instatement, repairs, and decoration. We will advise you on whether you have time to do the necessary repairs and reinstatement or perhaps in lieu, negotiate a settlement figure. Either way, we have an excellent track record of robustly negotiating down schedules of dilapidations with landlords and always achieve a fair and reasonable settlement for our occupier clients.
Party Wall Matters – Party Wall and other neighbour-related disputes can cause a headache for occupiers of commercial property. Our experienced team of building surveyors will steer you through any Party Wall concerns, to resolve potential issues before they turn complicated, ensuring that your interests are fully protected.