Lambourn Commercial - Commercial Property Concultants

Delivering results, not driving turnover

At Lambourn Commercial we appreciate that there are many advisers who offer commercial property acquisition services and that the vast majority will be able to find you premises. However, we know from our wealth of experience, over 100 acquisitions on nearly 1 million square feet, that there is much more to acquiring and relocating premises than just finding a building or moving from one place to another. No two acquisitions are the same; each will have a unique set of parameters. The level of service companies receive depends not only upon the adviser's experience, but also on the driving factor in providing the service.

Our driving factor is you, the client, and our determination to ensure that we provide the highest level of service on every instruction.

We represent clients seeking commercial premises throughout the UK across a range of property types – office, industrial, warehouse and leisure. Leisure premises are the most challenging as they are not built speculatively and as such most of these acquisitions have been concluded off market. A skill equally adopted to more common property types.

Why Choose Us?

• We have a thorough knowledge of the climate and market. Planning legislation has, over recent years, allowed certain types of commercial property to be converted to residential. Consequently there is an unprecedented shortage of available commercial premises. This has already led to a dramatic increase in rents within London and is beginning to be felt across other regional centres.
• We work with you. The starting point for any acquisition is to establish your brief. Our role is to fully understand that brief, without prior assumptions, and, on occasions, to question it to ensure that all feasible options are considered. Of course every client wishes to secure the best possible deal in terms of lowest rent and longest rent free period. However, for most businesses; the most important factor is securing the right premises. Premises that will allow the business to grow and that can be secured in time to dovetail with either an existing lease expiring, a break clause being operated or expansion occurring.
• Strong negotiation skills. Many agents can negotiate hard, but the skill is doing so without losing the deal and, with such limited supply, this has never been more dangerous than now. Thus, our experience of negotiations, our contacts in the industry and our ability to apply lateral thought is proving invaluable in securing premise for our clients.
• Flexibility. Our role can be as varied as the client requires, encompassing not only the identification and negotiation stages, but also driving the deal through alongside solicitors.

Additional Services

If required, we can also assist in the office planning, fit-out and relocation process. However, we believe that this should always be alongside independent specialists. It is critical that our clients secure good design, value for money from the contractor as well as a truly independent Project Manager to ensure the contractors' prices are fair and reasonable, the quality of work excellent, timescales are met and warranties worth the paper they are written on. Blurring the line between Contractor and Project Manager increases the risk of poor value for money and unsatisfactory finishes.

Working with our approved consultants we offer the following services:-

• Staff Travel to Work Analysis – Considering current staff home and travel patterns to assist and reinforce location decisions.
• Space Analysis – Reviewing current “Working Practices” to establish if new space use techniques can lead to improved efficiencies and possible space savings.
• Space Planning – Assessing preferred buildings for suitability and advising on likely cost of fit-out, to help determine the best option. Space planning the chosen property and refining layouts.
• Project Management – Drawing up the specification for the fit-out of new premises, tendering to contractors, analysing tender returns and working with the Client to select the correct Contractor, negotiating final prices and any Post-Tender alterations, negotiating the Contract, monitoring the Contractor and the quality of work through to Completion and resolving any snagging issues.
• Move Management – Organising relocation of furniture, computer and other client equipment, files and goods to new premises.
• Building Services – Building, Mechanical and Electrical surveys, negotiating existing dilapidation obligations.
• Rating – Reviewing existing Rating Assessment on acquired premises and forthcoming 2017 Revaluation.

Case Study - 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1

Due to a Compulsory Purchase Order our clients had to fast track the relocation of their City HQ and at the same time wished to merge with 2 other London satellite offices. Our brief was to search for space between Chiswick, West London and Old Street in the City of London.

We were instructed on the 15th January, and inspected properties with our clients on the 23rd January. Initially 119 Farringdon Road was dismissed by our client as likely to take too long to fit-out but, due to our experience with such projects and by bringing in contractors and Project Managers from the beginning, we were able to demonstrate this would not be the case.

Heads of Terms on the preferred building were agreed and solicitors instructed within 5 working days of commencing negotiations and 2 weeks from first inspecting.

The lease was completed on 5th March. Strip-out and fit-out on 1st Phase (21,500 sq. ft.) was completed and 200+ staff moved in by 15th May on this 45,000 sq. ft. relocation project.