Why is building refurbishment beneficial?

Refurbishment is the process of improving a building through cleaning, reconstructing, decorating and re-equipping of the building. A number of buildings in Sydney can benefit from refurbishment.

There are a number of benefits to the refurbishment of a building, however, not every building requires this process. In order to properly understand which buildings should and should not refurbish and why it is beneficial, you first need to properly understand what building refurbishment is.

What is building refurbishment?

Building refurbishment should not be confused with building renovation. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there is one key difference between them. A building renovation restores the state of the building to good condition through repairs. However, the refurbishment process only undertakes minor repairs and focuses mainly on the cleaning, equipping and retrofitting of the building. There are no fundamental or major structural repairs done in refurbishment.

The type of refurbishment works done on a building depends on the type of building it is and for what purpose it is used for. Here are examples of refurbishment works:

• Cosmetic renovations such as painting, decorating and cleaning
• Alterations
• Modernisations such as sustainability and the addition of technological features

When should a company consider refurbishment in Sydney?

While refurbishment is beneficial for almost every building, it is not always suitable or right for the building at that specific time. Here are factors to consider when deciding whether to refurbish.

• Budget
• Season
• Type of work you need/want to be done
• Whether you are selling or renting soon
• The current condition of your building (do you actually need a renovation?)

Benefits of a company building refurbishment in Sydney

Extend the life of your building

Cosmetic updates, cleaning and alterations play a huge role in extending the life of your building. Cleaning helps to ensure that debris and dust do not speed up the natural wear and tear or deterioration of the building. It also creates the opportunity to find areas in the building that may have been neglected and that require special attention. For example, mould can go unnoticed and deteriorate a building’s walls, floors and ceiling rapidly. Specialised cleaning can quickly attend to this and prevent premature deterioration which ultimately, can affect the life of your building. This is just one of the many features of refurbishment that can help to extend the lifespan of your building.

Increase the value of your building

Regardless of if you plan on renting or selling your building (or neither), it’s always smart to invest in the quality of your building and attempt to raise its value. Refurbishment helps to increase the value of your building by making it more modern, technologically advanced and by adding popular sustainability features such as double-glazed windows, living green walls and water efficiency.

With any building, an updated cosmetic appearance, modern fixtures and sustainable features will increase the value of your building. This makes it extremely beneficial if you decide to sell or rent your building in the future.

Attract customers and keep employees happy

It’s well-known that customers and employees are attracted and content with a building that is updated in appearance and technologically advanced. Customers are more inclined to enter a building if it is well presented, refined and appears to be heavily invested in its physical structure and surroundings. For employees, they are more likely to appreciate and value where they work. This translates into high work ethic and improved motivation which ultimately, means that you have a stronger and happier team.

Modernise your building

Refurbishment allows you to modernise your building and make it a more efficient workplace. As previously mentioned, sustainability is one of the most popular modern features that companies introduce during their refurbishment. Sustainable features such as light dimmers and double-glazed windows don’t only improve the environment, but it also helps you save money by using less energy, which reduces your utility bills.

Other modernisations such as retro fit-outs which include sit-stand desks and phone booths improve the function of your business, the work ethic of your team and ultimately, your company’s productivity.

We hope that this article provides clarity on the benefits of building refurbishment. Clearly, it’s an advantageous process for your building to undergo, but only if you can afford it or if you really require it.

If you’re in the Sydney metropolitan area, and you require refurbishment for your business’s building, then email us at admin@fmr.com.au or give us a call on 0420 972 665.