While commercial property refurbishments are a periodic necessity, they have the potential to play havoc with the businesses who occupy the building and the employees who work there. There’s never a convenient time to renovate an office or workspace. Inevitably, there will come a time when your premises need some attention but the short-term disruption caused can be considerable.
So, how do you maintain a positive and productive atmosphere at work when there are builders and teams of chartered surveyors everywhere?
Effective project management
Whether your premises are undergoing a refurb or a refit, careful and professional project management is key. Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance, as the saying goes. Effective advance planning should help to minimise any disruption. The key variables to get right so that your operations aren’t overly compromised are:
- Accurate job costing to stay within budget
- Achievable deadlines to avoid delays
Your project manager should communicate to staff and customers exactly what to expect, so there are no nasty surprises and the minimum of disruption during the ongoing works.
Temporary relocations
While some refurbishment projects are bigger than others, it always makes sense to temporarily relocate affected employees away from any direct building disturbances. In addition to the obvious health & safety issues to consider, it is simply not practical to expect staff to use their workplace as normal when there are builders around.
Rather than viewing it as an unnecessary expense and impractical exercise to uproot your team and supplant them elsewhere, it could prove far less disruptive in the long run than simply expecting them to put up with dust, noise and distraction while the work is going on.
Ensure the job is done well
What’s the worst that can happen? You may have spent many thousands on a refurbishment project, having temporarily moved your workforce elsewhere at additional expense, but what if you move back in to find that the contractors have done a poor job? From patchy paintwork to uneven floors, the use of substandard building materials and even the odd safety hazard, what on earth went wrong?
Chances are, your project management processes let you down. It can be tricky to organise all the practical aspects of the refurb while making sure you find a reputable contractor, particularly when supervision is required at multiple locations that all have their own particular requirements.
Here at Bradley-Mason LLP, we understand how disruptive a commercial refurbishment project can be for businesses in the UK. We make it our business to minimise disruption and inconvenience by ensuring that your projects are executed on time, on budget and to the highest standards.
For more information about any of our chartered building surveying services for commercial enterprises, please get in touch.
DISCLAIMER: This article is for general information only and not intended as advice. Each project has its own set of unique circumstances, all potential issues should be investigated by a surveyor on a case by case basis before making any decision.