Having a commercial property can be highly rewarding, but it comes with ongoing maintenance tasks to ensure it fulfils health and safety requirements. If you fail to keep your commercial property in good shape, it will cost you heavily in repairs, and you may face liability in the event of an accident on your premises.
Commercial property maintenance is twofold because it will help to bring a return on your investment and it will retain its value. Below, you will find some useful tips for keeping your commercial property in order.
Energy Consumption Audit
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Having an energy consumption audit carried out is a great way to find out where you are. Using the information, you can put measures in place to improve your building to reduce monthly outgoings. In a commercial property, energy bills are by far the largest overhead, especially with the rising cost of living. As well as providing you with your current rating, a professional will advise you of ways to bring costs down including:
- Roof insulation replacements.
- Sealing windows and doors.
- Using LED lightbulbs.
- Replacing window panes.
Electrical Wiring and Alarm System Checks
Faulty electric wiring is one of the leading causes of fires in the UK, which is why it’s important to have them tested at least every 5 years. You can easily schedule Commercial EICR/Fixed Wire Testing, which will highlight any existing issues and tell advise on required measures to take. To get a test scheduled in, you can easily make general EICR queries by visiting Hexo Electrical Testing, which also caters to Domestic EICR testing.
Prioritise Remodelling Tasks
Times change and your commercial property need to evolve in unison. Therefore, you should carry out regular remodels to fulfil the growing needs of businesses and keep your tenants happy. For example, you may need to add extra electrical fixtures to accommodate smart devices.
To make sure you’re hitting the right mark here, your commercial property should be up to the same standard as your own home would be. Therefore, you should repaint walls, breathe new life into the exterior, and replace any ripped carpets. These are only the basic remodelling tasks, there are countless projects you can undertake to improve building appeal.
Monthly Safety Audits
Health and safety are a top priority for any business, so make sure you carry out regular safety audits. During the test, you need to ensure all emergency lights work, fire detectors are operational, and fire escape signage is clear. By carrying out these tests monthly, you can correct any issues before they become problematic. If a fire breaks out and your system fails, you’ll be looking at further property damage and potential lawsuits.
Fixture Fixing
General building maintenance will include fixing any fixtures and fittings. If these are left in disrepair for extended periods, there’s more likely to be extensive and costly damage to the building. The fixtures you need to prioritise are damaged fire doors, broken lights, faulty electricals, and then anything making your building look dishevelled. If you fix issues when they arise, you will have happy tenants and a clearer maintenance schedule.
Keep Backup Generator Maintained
When your backup generator remains dormant, air creeps into the unit and can render it useless, which isn’t great if your tenants have an emergency. Therefore, you should start your backup generator for around 5 minutes every week. This is the same principle as firing up a standing car regularly to keep everything ticking over. As well as firing up the generator, you should have a transfer load test carried out monthly – the full load test will need to be completed annually.
Remove All Fire Hazards
Outbreaks of fire hazards are the stuff of nightmares for commercial property owners and business leaders. You can help to avoid fires by assessing the building and removing any hazards. Additionally, you will need to ensure all of your fire exits are in full working order and remind your tenants to keep walkways clear at all times. Further, you need to have proper equipment onsite including fire extinguishers and blankets.
Have HVAC Inspection
Businesses operate more effectively when they’re working in comfortable conditions, which is why you should put the time in to inspect the HVAC system. In particular, you should change the filter every month. If you find that the HVAC is struggling to work efficiently, you should call in an expert to take a look and re-balance the pressure. As well as changing the filter, it’s important to ensure the thermostat is in good working order.
Conclusion
Owning a commercial property comes with mountains of responsibility, mainly surrounding ongoing maintenance and ensuring safety features are in place. By following the tips above, you are more likely to achieve a return on investment for the property and avoid any lawsuits for negligence.
