Commercial property is one of the most valuable assets anyone can have in their possession. Not only is it tangible and profit-generating, but it also appreciates over time, making it a great hedge against inflation.
That said, owning a piece of property shouldn’t be the end goal. As the property owner, it’s your duty to maintain it to a high standard, and this entails regularly modernising and renovating it to help it remain competitive in the local market.
From decorating the facade to making the property more green and sustainable, there are a number of ways you can elevate your commercial space. If you want to retain your current tenants and attract new ones, here are seven ways you can upgrade your commercial property.
Let’s jump right in!
Refreshing your building with a new coat of paint may seem like a fairly rudimentary approach to upgrading your space, but a new sheen of paint can be a huge difference maker in attracting positive attention to your building.
This is especially true if your facade’s current paint job is starting to crack and chip. If your building looks dilapidated and worn down, a paint job can visually transform your space and breathe new life into the building.
Ideally, you should pick paints that match your building’s overall aesthetic and are high-quality and sustainable. Experiment with different colours and find the best colour palette that matches the vibe you want your building to convey.
In addition, it’s essential that you don’t cheapen out when choosing a paint. Find paint companies that are reputed for withstanding harsh weather conditions, whether it’s relentless sun or constant downpours. If you plan to add paint in rooms indoors, ensure that the paint is safe to breathe and neutral-toned.
Furthermore, look for paint labels that say low VOC (or no VOC), as these compounds contain fewer harmful chemicals than paints containing VOCs. By choosing the right paint for your building, you can let your building stand out while simultaneously increasing its longevity, which is beneficial for every property owner.
Besides upgrading the building structure itself, another good way to boost your commercial property’s value is by adding extra structures around the property’s vicinity.
One such structure you can consider is a shade structure. This structure, as the name implies, offers protection from the sun and the rain—allowing people situated outdoors to stay cool and comfortable regardless of the ongoing weather conditions.
This structure helps promote health and convenience to your patrons and tenants. In turn, this can improve your property’s credibility, granting you more opportunities to grow your business if positive word-of-mouth spreads outside your place.
Shade structures can come in various forms. They can be small, large, circular, star-shaped, black, white, or any colour in between. The great part is that shade structures are highly versatile, being useful in schools, government buildings, and commercial spaces.
If you want to cover your commercial building’s outdoor space, consider getting commercial shade structures from Greenline or a local shade structure installation provider.
You can easily customise your shade structure according to your needs, all you have to do is to send the structure specifications. From there, they’ll give you a quote and an estimated finish time.
First impressions matter a lot, and this can’t be any more true for commercial properties.
Typically, your property’s garden (granted that you haven’t cleared your land for upcoming renovations) will be among the first things that passers-by and clients will see when they visit your space. If you want to set a great first impression, then do a good job of enhancing it.
For starters, consider incorporating different shrubs, plants, and trees around the lawn. You can consult with a gardener or landscaping specialist to help you pick the best features based on your allowable lot area.
Besides flora, add curb appeal by integrating some decorative man-made features too. Fountains, pathways, benches, and garden decor can all add some life to your outdoor space, making it more inviting to prospecting renters or buyers.
Of course, you’ll also want to hire someone who can constantly maintain and preserve the beauty of the garden. Ensure that you have a gardener to tend your garden and help your building flourish and stand out in a sea of other buildings around the block.
Everyone enjoys acquiring bonuses in their newly rented or acquired space. As such, if your budget permits, consider adding some recreational spaces within your building to make your area look more attractive for your tenants and upcoming clients.
For instance, if you have a spare room in your building that you don’t intend to rent out, consider repurposing it into a public lounge, a fitness centre, or an indoor meeting room. Having these facilities can help you provide a unique selling point in the broader market.
On top of that, these facilities can also make your current roster of tenants feel more happy and relaxed in your space—which can contribute to continued patronage and profitability.
By adding these recreational spaces, you’re offering an edge in the competitive commercial market, which can lead to better financial outcomes later on.
It’s no secret that humans produce quite a fair bit of waste, especially when it comes to electrical consumption. This is more so the case when they’re operating a business and running various computers, lights, and machinery to run business operations.
Having said that, implementing green and environmentally friendly technology into your commercial property can be an excellent way to counter and limit energy consumption. This comes in the form of solar panels, energy-efficient HVAC systems, or advanced insulation.
While the upfront cost of installing these green technologies may be high, these technologies often cost less over the long term and come with the added perk of increased long-term savings.
Besides the ecological benefits of green technology, being certified as a green business can boost your business’s overall credibility. This can attract a new range of environmentally friendly and potentially premium clients, making your property more competitive overall.
If your building’s look and feel are outdated, make it a priority to modernise it. Incorporating technology into your building can transform it from a dreary, old, and monotonous space into something savvy, advanced, and potentially cost-saving.
There are many ways you can integrate smart tech solutions into your commercial property. On the security side of things, you can put turnstiles by the entrance with ID recognition to enhance the building’s overall security. You can also put in metal detectors and CCTVs around the vicinity.
Besides that, you can also opt for advanced building management systems that control lighting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) from a centralised platform. This makes it easier for you to control the electricity budget, all while making your space more energy efficient.
Of course, you can also consider adopting smart technology to improve your and your client’s quality of life. Features like app-controlled lighting, temperature, and lockers can all help create a more efficient workspace, consequently making everyone feel happier in the workplace.
It’s important to ensure that your commercial property is safe and accessible to all, regardless of their disability and size. Perform a thorough inspection of your property and ensure that each relevant area is accessible to people with disabilities.
If a certain section of your commercial property isn’t accessible, then make the necessary renovations to ensure that it is. Include ramps, automatic doors, elevators, and accessible restrooms wherever possible to ensure that everyone can be accommodated when they step foot on your property.
Promoting accessibility isn’t only helping people with disabilities, it’s also pushing a good brand image and making your company look more socially responsible. This can enhance your perception among business partners, current tenants, and prospecting clients, which can do you a whole lot of good when it comes to increasing the overall satisfaction of your property.