Thinking of purchasing or leasing a commercial property? Whether you are thinking about office property, warehouse, retail, or multiuse, there are some factors that should be considered.
First consideration is intended use. Do you intend to use this property yourself? Lease it to others? Perhaps lease part of the property to others? How long do you intend to occupy the property yourself?
Second consideration is zoning. Especially if purchasing, confirm that the proper zoning is place. This should be a contingency in the contract prior to closing.
Third is the “price”. If leasing, what is your square foot price? Be sure to inquire about additional fees and requirements. CAM’s (Common Area Maintainence) usually amount to another $1.50 to $3.00 per sq. ft. Also, you need to find out if the lease is a “net lease” and what type. This means who pays for taxes? Grounds? etc.
Fourth, build out costs. At least in this area, the square footage rate is merely for the “shell”. Often, there is additional build out costs associated with getting the office, retail, etc. space to your perferences. If properly negotiated, then some of this costs can be offset, usually in the form of a “free rent” period if leasing. If purchasing, should be considered in the overall costs of your purchase.
Parking is the fifth concern and is often overlooked. You might have the perfect location and the perfect price but if you require 50 parking spots and zoning only permits 25, then you will find yourself in a bind later.
Pricing, of course, is a major consideration. Keep in mind that pricing of commercial real estate is done differently. Income analysis for existing property that will be leased out is going to be very important to any lender. Consideration for occupancy, lease rates (the subject property as well surrounding properties), are carefully examined and should be a major consideration in your offer. However, sometimes the value is in the location and the land. A class C retail space sitting on a waterfront parcel and getting high traffic might be considered for redevelopment.
These are just a few, very brief considerations when making decisions on commercial property in Smithfield, Isle of Wight, or in Hampton Roads. Let us know if we can help. Or visit our website at www.tchurchwell.com for more information.