5 Benefits of Building Refurbishment

Planning to refurbish your old commercial building is a big decision. It can easily turn into an expensive investment depending on the level of refurbishment. Building renovation has two meanings, first to restore the old or dull building into prior condition by simply cleaning, painting and rebuilding.

Second is to restore the building into something lively and fresh. Both types of renovations have their own benefits. Depending on the budget, you can choose one that can be applied. 

Building refurbishment not only adds comfort and beauty but also increases the overall value of the property.

In order to get a successful property refurbishment as an output, you should hire experienced refurbishment experts. As there are numerous service providers available, it becomes hard to select the best one. 

Property owners in UK often undergo a range of refurbishment processes because of a variety of reasons.

Here are the 7 best things about building refurbishment I came across after the successful completion of refurbishment project of my property:  

Improved Space Usage 

Successful refurbishment task improves the quality of living. The space usage and quality of life can improve in certain ways depending on the improvement task. This includes improvement in air conditioning, improved heating and insulation. 

Improved Functionality

Property improvement improves practicality and functionality in your existing property. This could be through improvements such as new window glasses or repairing of existing window glasses if they have scratches on them, a new fitted kitchen or bathroom. 

Increased Value

By proper refurbishment and property improvement process, the overall resell value of a building can be increased. If it is a commercial property then you will get good value after selling the same because of its increased beauty and functionality after the refurbishment. 

Buyers do like an improved property more compared to an old, unpleasant property. 

Improved Comfort

Building Refurbishment improves the comfort level for your family. With the proper refurbishment task, you can reap the benefits of existing building for many more years.

Lower Costs

Building a new property can be costly and time consuming. You may also run into additional unexpected costs along the way. Building refurbishment is comparatively wise approach. 

If you are someone who is searching for contractors for building refurbishment work then contact ARS LTD. The experts at ARS LTD are well versed with every aspect of building refurbishment, commercial spraying and glass repairs. 

10 Ideas for a Healthy Office Refurbishment

Offices are so much more than a working desk and loads of paper. With work cultures changing, modern brands/businesses are looking to create an environment that boosts the morale of the employees to get the work done. As opposed to management tactics and strict work ethics, a good office environment has been seen to impact positively on the productivity of a workplace. 

Things like good lighting, proper ventilation, workspace layout, storage, ergonomic furnishing, the paint on the wall, etc can be of substantial impact. However, according to a recent survey, more than 90% of global employees are dissatisfied with the office space they work in. The complaints range from lack of privacy to a dull environment.

If you have been facing these complaints, it is advisable to go for an immediate office refurbishing. The characteristics of the physical environment have always had its impact on a worker’s well being, behavior and thus their productivity. Given your budget, a lot can be planned. To make your day easier, here are some ideas for a healthy office refurbishment.

1. Start by creating a list of requirement and it would be worthwhile to interact and consult with your staff in the process. Only they know what’s wrong with the current design and what alternatives could be better.

2. Keeping the buildings physical limitations in mind (including floor space) you can work with an interior designer to chalk out the best possible solution.

3. Office refurbishment is a good opportunity to highlight the personality of the brand itself. There are many ways to relate the positivity of your brand with that of the office space. Overall, your employees should feel special to be working for your brand.

4. Another important consideration is the budget. It helps to prioritize refurbishment checklist to understand what could be done and what couldn’t be touched.

5. When you hire office refurbishment services, ensure that they have the insurance to cover damages. This would also be a good time to review your own insurance policies.

6. If you are a busy office, the refurbishment needs to go step by step. It is important that the normal day is least interrupted and that work continues as usual. Weekends are a solution. Further, you can also shift around desks for some days to complete the refurbishment of the main spaces.

7. Ensure that the person responsible for overseeing the refurbishment has enough years of experience behind him/her. The professional might also help you with more suitable alternatives and budget cuts.

8. This will also be an opportunity to think about the years ahead and the growth of your business/brand. An office refurbishment process can be a way to accommodate a growing number of desks.

9. Technology will be a key to redefining office spaces and making it less clustered and boring. Wi-Fi for instance can free up spaces that were previously used by dedicated desks.

10. Bring in fun and color into the office. All work and no play will actually make your employees a dull professional. The aesthetics of a room can actually foster a lot of creativity, logical thinking and ability to work. Small things like the color on the wall, the lighting, the color of the curtains, the shape of the desks, plant pots, etc can make a difference.

When it comes to a dynamic and highly productive office space, Google has always stood as a good example. For its employees, the office space has been one of the top reasons to join the company and commit a long term service! Make the environment look and feel happy.

10 Essential Winter Maintenance Tips for Commercial Buildings

Winters are approaching and you all must be thinking how to keep your commercial buildings warm and safe from the rough weather outside. Strong chilling winds, snowfall, and heavy rains can take a serious toll on your office building and its architecture. If you take proper care, then this damage to the buildings can be prevented to a great extent. 

Let us go through this article to know those 10 excellent tips that can help you keep the commercial buildings safe and secure. Let’s get started.

1. Check the heating systems

In cold weather season, maintaining the heating systems should be top most priority for you. Therefore we suggest that you should look for the working of the heating systems such as the boilers, etc. Furnaces and rooftops should also be checked from time to time. This forms a part of the building refurbishment.

2. Look for the cooling systems

The cooling systems such as the refrigerators and air conditioners should be checked as the winter sets in. These appliances will not be used in the winter season and therefore you should unplug these devices and clean them up.

3. Calibrate the thermostats

Calibrating the thermostats will allow the devices to function efficiently. Following this practice can also help you lower the value of the utility bills to a great extent. Just do this and enjoy the winters. Calibrating is an important procedure in building refurbishment.

4. Replace the air filters

Start of the winters indicates that it is the time to replace the air filters. Also, it will be good for the energy consumption as the dirty air filters will consume more energy.

5. Check the doors and windows

Crevices in the doors and the windows can be a reason for the warm air going out of the rooms and the cold air creeping in. If you want to avoid this then check for the leaks in the doors and the windows.

6. Clean the gutters

You should see that the building refurbishment teams looks towards the cleaning of the gutters. In winters water can freeze and cause clogging of the gutters in the buildings.

7. Entrance mats should be of good quality

Feet carry most of the dust in the buildings. You should ensure that you use good quality entrance mats so that 80 percent of the dust is trapped in the entrance mats.

8. Inspect the drains and the irrigation systems

These water systems are more prone to the blockage in the winters. You should make sure that they are cleaned regularly.

9. Repair any cracks in the sidewalks

The holes in the sidewalks can deepen into sever potholes if not repaired on time by the building refurbishment team. Also, ensure that you use premium quality construction material.

10. Be prepared for the power outages

Winters are harsh and can lead to extended power failures. You should always maintain a power backup in case of any emergency or else power loss can lead to work loss too.

Tips & Tricks for Successful Building Refurbishments

Carrying out refurbishment or restoration works in a building is an arduous task. The problem is more when there are budget constraints for the work. In most places, people outsource this work to an agency, which excels in refurbishment and restoration works. Usually the agencies have professionals working in the team and they have thorough knowledge on the tips and tricks of the work so that the best results are obtained from the same. It is quite interesting to see that the refurbishment work starts from very basic things and when these are changed, the whole building takes a new look and appearance altogether.

Building glass repair – important part of building refurbishment

You might have noticed that some glasses in the building are broken. There might be many reasons for glass breakage. And these broken glasses hamper the look and appearance of the building drastically. Therefore the first job that needs to be done for the refurbishment is repairing the glass. It is best when the whole glass is replaced with a new one. Understand the kind of glass that is used in the building and replace with same quality item so that it does not look different. If you cannot understand the glass variety contact the contractor who installed the glasses in the building in the first place – he can help you in this. 

Cleaning of the glasses

Just repairing broken glasses is not enough for building refurbishment. It is also important that all the glasses in the building are cleaned thoroughly. Glass spraying is one of the most effective ways of cleaning glasses and making them shine. Clean glasses definitely enhance the beauty of any building manifold times. 

Removing scratches from glasses

Scratched glasses provide a very bad impact on outsiders. Therefore make sure that scratch removal from glasses is an integral part of building refurbishment. Professionals have advanced glass scratch removal system with which smallest of the scratches and spots are removed from the glass surfaces. In many building scratch free glasses are also installed, but they are quite expensive.

Wall repairs – giving the building a new look

Damaged and discolored walls are definitely repulsive. When you are refurbishing your building, make sure that you check the walls of the building and get them repaired if needed. Curtain walls are highly susceptible to damage and hence curtain wall repair is the most common need in any building. Since these walls are concealed with curtains, it is difficult to notice the damage from outside always. but while restoration work, every corner of the building should be checked so that no part remains untouched and uncovered.

Contacting a professional company for the building refurbishment work 

As mentioned above, professionals handle the job of building refurbishment with immaculate precision. There are many such companies and you must choose the right one for your needs. Talk to different companies and understand their reactions and take their quotations. After your research and survey is over, shortlist the companies that you find good for the job and which fit in within your permissible budget. Talk with the designers and professionals and finalize the deal with the company you find most suitable. Do some homework on building refurbishment on your own so that you can understand the works that are being done and check the works properly.

Top 6 Renovation Tips for Rental Properties

When tenants visit the property, they check the condition of the house for sure. And it is needless to say that well-maintained properties are taken on rent more easily. In fact many tenants are ready to pay more rent for a well-maintained property. This increases the duty of the landlord significantly as he has to ensure that the property, which is to be given out on rent, is in well-maintained condition. It might happen that small repairs and renovation works need to be done so that the rental property remains in the best shape and form.

Mentioned below are 6 building refurbishment and renovation tips for rental properties:

1. Try to add more rooms: -

It has been seen that rental properties that have more rooms fetch higher price when compared to properties with lesser numbers of rooms. In case the property has large and spacious rooms, try adding partitions in the rooms and create extra rooms. If there is a garage, it can be transformed into an extra bedroom. For large rooms, you can also try the option of half baths successfully to give the impression of a suite. Try maintaining uniform design for the rooms so that they look similar.

2. Work on the curb appeal of the property: -

If you want to market your rental property in the most effective manner, try working towards enhancing the curb appeal. Anyone who comes to see the property will see the exteriors at the first place before entering the property and checking the interiors. If the exteriors are unattractive, dull and dirty, they will turn away renters at the first glance. You don’t need to do much to enhance the curb appeal of a property. Keeping the exteriors clean and proper is important. Wash the exterior walls, the roof, pathway, driveway and patio. Keep the lawn mowed and remove weeds and keep things tidy and neat.

3. Take care of the bathrooms and upgrade them: -

When people look for a property on rent, they definitely check the bathroom. Modern, clean and working bathroom is mandatory for attracting attention of renters. Infact majority of renting decisions are dependent on the bathroom and kitchen in the property. If you are low on budget, you don’t need to install expensive and fancy fixtures. But ensure that the bathroom is clean and there are no broken pipes, sinks etc. Everything should be in perfect working condition.

4. The property should be accessible to all: -

Properties intended to be given on rent should be accessible by all, particularly for people with disabilities. Old and aged people, people on wheelchairs, handicapped people – everyone should be able to access the property easily. Using universal designs and models for the properties are suggested as a result.

5. Work on the lighting in the rental properties: -

You might not know but lighting plays an important role in deciding how the property looks. With the right kind of lighting installed, a small space can be made to look large and spacious. Add lights at pivotal places in the property and see how the appearance of the property changes. Light up the more attractive areas of the property to enhance their presence.

6. Try and add more storage options in the property: -

Demands of built-in storages are high with renters. People nowadays lead modern lifestyles and look for convenient features in their home. So, if you want to give out a property on rent, make sure that you add all these modern elements in the same.

Give Your Business a New Look And Attract More Clients

Agree or not, with the coming of online stores, many general stores are facing set back. Also, times are pretty austere and many businesses are not finding as many customers they used to get. Finding new clients and customers is becoming quite an arduous job. With sales margins going down, most of the companies start curbing their marketing budget. But there are some simple and low cost methods, which can help in giving a new look to the business and attract more numbers of customers.

Working on the exteriors of the store

When a client or a customer comes to the business store for the first time, he will surely take a look at the exteriors of the building. With proper refurbishment, the exteriors of the commercial building will look attractive and draw more and more numbers of clients to the business. In a study that was conducted, it was seen that purchasing decisions decided a lot on the exteriors of the store – whether the shopping was done in a mall on streets. A store that has bright colors and designs and is maintained well can draw attention of more numbers of people. However, the store should also have professional appearance.

Mentioned below are some important things that can help in turning the store into an attractive zone, without making must investments for the same:

Keep the exteriors clean

Most of us concentrate on keeping the interiors of the store clean and proper. But have you thought as what impression is made when the exteriors are dirty. Building cleaning therefore is very important from exteriors and interiors. Clean the sides of the doors and the area in front everyday so that there is no deposition of dust and dirt in the area.

Get rid of molds and faded graffiti

There are many building facades that are made from PVC or stucco. Without proper care and maintenance, there are chances of mold and fungal depositions on the walls and other parts. Many walls have graffiti done on them, but they eventually fade away with time. If they have become ugly, call professionals and get them removed completely. There are different techniques of removing these and experienced painters know about the same.

Fix the lights, neons and the shop signs

It is important that the shop sign should be bright and clearly visible from a distance. In many stores, the shop sign might not be working properly as the neons might not be glowing etc. Make sure that the problem of lighting is fixed at the earliest so that you draw attention of customers even during evening and night.

Fix any broken parts in the store

You might have been postponing repair works for your store for quite some time now. You are saving money in that but losing out on potential customers. Check the doors and the windows for cracks and other problems. In case there is broken glass, look for proper glass repair services. Check the frames of the doors and windows too. Do not forget the walls as well.

After finishing all the repairs and refurnishing works, apply fresh coat of paint on the exteriors to make them look like new. It is recommended to handover this entire refurbishing work to professionals as they are the best people to adjudge the situation and work accordingly.

 

Why Low Carbon Building Refurbishment is needed?

Carbon emissions and the resultant climate change are the most debilitating issues concerning the world today. The old, dilapidated structures across the cities are among the main reasons for excessive energy inefficiency experienced. Demolishing and making fresh structures also means a lot of waste and adds to carbon emissions. Hence, there is an urgent need felt for refurbishing worn down building structures and can comparatively be a better idea to fight high carbon emissions. Improved energy efficiency of buildings and positive climatic changes with low CO₂ in the atmosphere is the key to sustainability. 

Spreading Greener Refurbishment awareness can save environment

The operational performance and energy efficiency can be improved by as much as 30-40% by refurbishing using greener resources that consume and emit low amounts of energy. Prediction of energy savings is possible using various modelling strategies on the part of the designers. Planning, in the initial stages of refurbishment can help in practically lowering carbon emission for the building.

Building refurbishment is normally a costly affair if the design is not planned properly. There is a need to find cost effective ways for refurbishments and one can approach refurbishment commissioning engineers who can suggest straightforward measures towards building energy efficiency. This will include things like upgrading the lighting and tightening the insulation panels instead of demolishing and rebuilding structures. Metering and energy audit schemes also work well to check the performance, post the refurbishment work design implementation.

Many a times, when the goal of low carbon emissions is not clear on the part of the designer or contractor, the whole idea of greener refurbishment goes for a toss. The carbon intensive machineries, resources which are normally used for new construction are avoided in refurbishments which need to abide by minimum performance standards.   Awareness on the part of the occupants is the most important as they will decide the performance success. Minimal use of CO2 emitting equipments, maintainence of the equipments and such behaviour on the part of the occupants can make a lot of difference after the design implementation.

Joint efforts for favourable climate change

Buildings seem to be contributing more than 50% of the total greenhouse gas emission of carbon-dioxide. Better carbon emissions management controls in every building can progressively benefit the entire world. However, the Government and the private sector need to collaborate and participate in commercial low carbon emission refurbishment efforts. Together, we can make the drive of favourable climate change easy to achieve.

Asbestos and lead are frequently emitted when demolishing old buildings and can cause fatal health hazards. This isn’t just a cause for alarm for the residents in the neighbourhood but also the workers in the project. All of it can be avoided with an emphasis on greener facets, including installing more and more solar panels for energy generation in order to safeguard the non renewable energy resources.

The designs of greener buildings must be simple, where the prime design considerations include maximum natural ventilation and insulation panels which prevent overheating on the inside and the emission of higher carbon-di-oxide on the outsides. Such refurbishments, if carried out everywhere can make a serious difference in the level of CO₂ emissions which are a threatening the entire world today.

Climate change has been severely affecting various regions in the world and every year, the number of people getting directly affected is increasing exponentially. It’s come to a now or never situation and we need to get together as a single global community what is both concerned and well educated. 

How to plan up refurbishing your premises. Read up, this can help!

If you are planning to get your building refurbished this summer, then this article is meant for you. Finding a right contractor for your house or office’s refurbishment is not an easy task as it’s like servicing a car over and over again when not done properly first time. Here in this article, we have strived to compile a list of some key points which you must remember while hiring a contractor. 

You must ensure that your building doesn’t come under any building regulation act as you may have need permission for any construction to be made.  So, do not skip this otherwise all your hard work will go in vain.  Also, check that your house doesn't come under historically listed as it becomes difficult process altogether as the restriction is stringent.

Before jumping into the pool of contractors, decide your overall cost you want to spend on refurbishment. Though it’s not necessary that costing can’t go beyond your budget but deciding the same prior makes you aware that you have reached your limit and now spend a single penny with caution. 

Don’t be so quick in hiring a contractor. Just remember you have to choose the best among best. To do so, request for quotations from several firms or individuals and then decide who can take the best care of your building.  

You can also take the help of the internet to find reputable renovation companies. Since you find every small and big renovation firms there, it would be easy for you to shortlist the company of your own choice. Moreover, you can read the reviews of their clients who have already taken their services. 

After the scrutinizing companies and their reputation, you deserve to get the best and skilled men. Thus, make sure the contractors you decide to work with have the expertise that is required.

It is important that you choose the right contractor for your home or office as choosing the wrong one can be a real disaster.