Don’t let your refurbishment get you hot under the collar
When undertaking due diligence work, we often identify instances in which owners have carried out quality refurbishments that include foyers, floors and ceilings.
While this certainly does help with the building’s maintenance and appearance, the refurbishment often overlooks a critical part of the equation: the air conditioning unit.
Air conditioners are a critical resource for buildings everywhere. Why is it then that they are so often overlooked? Many building owners do not consider the air conditioning unit to be particularly important in terms of refurbishment. Some owners do not even consider that air conditioning units would ever need to be refurbished. This however, is certainly not the case.
For most buildings, the air conditioning units were installed when the building was constructed. In some cases, this is as many as thirty years ago. As such, these air conditioning systems were designed to suit conditions relevant to the times when the building was originally constructed. For older buildings, this means that the air conditioning was designed to cater for factors that we consider common today such as computers, longer working hours and work station clusters.
Why is this a problem? Computers and body temperature each affect the general air flow required within a building. Consider a 10 storey building with a central air conditioning unit. It is likely that over a period of years, the number of employees within the building would have increased; the required electricity would have significantly increased; and the hours of work would most likely also be significantly greater.
Don’t overlook the value of proactive maintenance
For many years, building owners have subscribed exclusively to the theory, if it aint broke, don’t fix it. This however can be an expensive mistake.
It is important to acknowledge that a building is an asset. As such, it needs to be protected and maintained to ensure that its value is not eroded.
To retain and attract tenants, your asset must be presented in the best possible condition, which in turn will maintain or increase its value.
Napier & Blakeley Building Consulting Manager, Nigel Towse says that if building maintenance is ignored, it can have significant consequences.
“There is a common misconception that buildings have long lives and only deteriorate gradually. This may be true for the more robust forms of structure. However even these can deteriorate rapidly with structural failure, environmental issues, chemical attack or the ingress of moisture.”
The health and well being of tenants is paramount in any leased asset and is heavily linked to how the building is maintained. There are basic, statutory obligations that require regular maintenance to be carried out to this end. In particular, cleaning, testing, and checking etc, of fire systems, boilers, lifts and hoists.
“By planning and carrying out your maintenance efficiently, you can minimise your capital expenditure. This will ensure that your asset is safe, economical, efficient, environmentally friendly, and retains its value,” says Towse.
