Tag: commercial

Milena Horrocks joined Robinson & Hall in April 2023 and was appointed as Commercial Property Manager taking responsibility for commercial agency and property management.

With 13 years of experience, Milena brings a wealth of knowledge in residential and luxury properties having been Head of Operations and Property Management at Madley Property, a boutique estate agency in London. The client-side experience has given Milena the best possible grounding and insight for a career in property management and has tailored the professional services that she provides to our valued clients.

Since joining our highly experienced team, headed by David Watling, our Commercial department has taken over the estate management of two well-established blocks of office/industrial properties in St Neots and Sandy, broadening our management portfolio. Currently we manage a variety of commercial properties including retail, office, and industrial premises as well as mixed use buildings throughout the region.

There is always a strong demand for a responsive and efficient property management department, particularly at a time when the market is experiencing significant disruption across all sectors. Here at Robinson & Hall we aim to build relationships that last and develop long-term partnerships with our clients. Our clients are at the heart of everything we do. They appreciate that they have a dedicated Property Manager who provides the best professional service in a truly bespoke and tailored manner.

Robinson & Hall’s Commercial Property Services offer:

• Rent collection and arrears recovery
• Insurance demands and apportionment
• Service charge – both budgeting and collection of service charge
• Inspection, both periodic and more regularly as may be appropriate with vacant units to ensure lease and statutory compliance
• Implementing works and arranging reports to ensure the property is compliant with current legislation including health and safety and monitoring Energy Performance Certificate status
• Making recommendations to enhance the property’s condition and liaising with our in-house building surveyors in respect of dilapidations where necessary
• Supervision of maintenance contracts and works
• Asset management
• Dealing with applications to assign, underlet or to make alterations
• Supervision of maintenance contracts and works
• Negotiating lease surrenders and developing marketing strategies where necessary
• Dealing with rent reviews and lease renewals

If you need a professional property management service, please get in touch with David Watling, Head of Commercial Property, on 01234 362934 or Milena Horrocks, Commercial Property Manager, on 01234 362939.

The industrial and storage market has seen the largest growth in property rents and has remained the most robust of the commercial property sectors. Over recent years, there has been a growth in online sales following the onset of coronavirus and both retailers and distributors are requiring an increased amount of storage space to facilitate these requirements.

Are my farm buildings suitable?

When considering whether commercial industrial property diversification is an option for you, there are a number of matters you should take into consideration, which include:-

1. Access hours
2. Additional security
3. Lease agreements
4. Deposits
5. Planning permission and building regulations
6. Legal requirements
7. Property management
8. The tenant’s usage
9. Additional insurance requirements
10. Required adaptations to the existing farming method and business
11. Health and safety requirements

The benefits compared to other diversification options:

• The conversion process. There is a lot less work and cost associated with conversion to industrial/storage use, reducing the turn around time and generating rental income sooner.
• The income generated is all year round and guaranteed during the contract period.
• There is a lot less input and time required by the landlord.

When considering whether your farm buildings are suitable, you could also consider storage containers. These have also increased in demand and may be a smaller initial step into the commercial market.  

For more information or to discuss your farm buildings and their suitability, please contact Tessa.

There are a wide range of benefits when using a commercial property agent, such as Robinson & Hall, to assist you with the disposal of a property, by lease or sale, or when acquiring a property, either as a purchaser or a tenant. We have detailed a number of these key advantages below.

Selling/letting your property

• No obligation market appraisal.

We offer a no obligation market appraisal where we will visit the property and then provide advice to you on the best methods of marketing the property, timing and the potential sale price or rent.

• Valuable advice when preparing a property to launch to the market.

Once you have decided to sell/let your property we will advise on what pre-marketing works need to be completed to maximise the value and how to set a property up for marketing, We will assist with taking photos of the property to present it in the best light and prepare a professional and detailed set of marketing particulars. All of this helps to ensure you get the best out of your sale/letting.

• Advice and guidance to ensure the required statutory compliances are met.

These include advice on:

• Requirements for planning permission, use class changes and lawful use certificates
  • Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
  • Asbestos survey (if applicable)
  • Details of business rates

• Access to multiple marketing platforms.

Our properties are marketed on a variety of online property portals which increases the property’s exposure to interested parties.

• Access to a database of interested parties.  

We send properties to suitable applicants on our database. Sometimes this means we can find a buyer/tenant prior to launching the property to the open market.

• Analyse suitability of the purchaser/tenant

We carry out reference checks on all tenants to ensure their financial position will enable them to cover the rent.

Property Searches

As well as assisting in the sale or letting of commercial properties we also regularly carry out property searches for those looking to purchase or rent a property. The benefit of using an agent in these instances are as follows:

• We listen to your aims and requirements which enables us to narrow down potential properties to those which best suit your needs. This saves you time searching through properties on the market.

• We have in-depth knowledge of the local area. This information is valuable as we are often aware of properties before they come to the market meaning you can be first in line. We also have knowledge of recent sales/lettings which we can use to advise on any offers you may wish to submit.

• We can help you to think outside your normal parameters and view properties that you wouldn’t have ever considered but could be suitable.

• We have experience in identifying common issues with properties. This may identify any issues which might mean you don’t want to proceed or that you aware of potential future outgoings.

• Guidance and advice on what you may be liable for as a purchaser or tenant such as stamp duty land tax, solicitor costs, fit out costs and any other costs.

Key benefits for both parties

• Reduce unnecessary stress arising from the transaction.

• Save you money in the long term. Using a professional may look like an additional cost but often this cost is offset against savings elsewhere in terms of your time or identifying particular issues with a property early.

• Save you time. The process can be extremely time consuming. By narrowing down the number of properties you need to consider we can give you more time to run your own business.

• Negotiate on your behalf, using our knowledge of the local property market to ensure you achieve best value.

• Using an agent to act on your behalf gives you credibility as it indicates your commitment to the process.

For more information or to find out how our Commercial Property Services department can help you please contact Tessa Smith.