Quiet Season Means Renovation - But Is Your Property Ready?

With the holiday season rolling away, it’s time for a period of rest for businesses. While November through the New Year is an incredible time for businesses - Reuters found a 7.6% growth in sales through that period - January is always quieter. In the hospitality sector, many enter a period of rest after a hectic Christmas season; for retail and commercial, they’ll look to reconvene after the New Year sales, when all that gift money has been spent. With all that added capital and the chance to quieten down, it’s also a prime time of year for commercial renovations - especially so in Philly, which is experiencing a work-favoring mild winter. Beware, however - behind every good renovation project is the need for precision and old fashioned hard work.

Creating a checklist

Renovation is understandably an exciting process - but it’s an expensive one, too. As the New York Times highlights, the cost of construction is still very high, and that means managing the process is crucial. Overspending is fatal to businesses, as are botched projects. One common cause of failed renovations is not properly assessing the underlying property.

Look at the current state of cleanliness of your property. Having a deep clean will ensure that you are well aware of every nook and cranny in the property, and unearth any problems that may impede the renovation. Consider cleaning on neglected spaces, too, such as windows - they will be impacted by renovation, too, and ‘high touch’ areas in general can be left neglected. It’s really important that thorough cleaning of these areas, such as HVAC, takes place - it will provide a clear image of the state of the building and protect you in future planning.

The deep dive

A thorough clean will enable you to see the proper layout of the property - and from there, you can undertake more in depth assessments. A key area to focus on is damp and mold. These problems can be insidious, growing out of sight and mind; but when left unchecked, they can have a serious impact on the stability of hte property, both in terms of its safety to work in and structural issues. Renovations should focus on remediating mold and related problems first - anything build on top of existing issues can be at risk.

This is a really crucial step to take. As the Inquirer highlights, housing owners and operators have been sued for running mold-filled buildings. Furthermore, there are related issues linked to mold concerned with hygiene and the risk of ill-health within buildings. Tackling these head-on is necessary to ensure that your renovations are long-lasting and will be fit for years to come. That will also protect property prices, in case you ever decide to move.

During the project

Renovation will bring with it a huge range of waste types. Solid materials, electrical work, insulation, plumbing; the steps needed to renovate a building and bring it up to the modern day will inevitably bring with it many different waste types. Properly disposing of this waste is essential. As the Philly Voice highlights, businesses are being imposed with huge fines for improperly managed waste. Those fines are often difficult to countenance as it is truly difficult to understand how waste is dealt with. As always, looking for professional help is a good step to take. Professional waste management and disposal can give a degree of liability insurance against fines, and will provide expertise on-site, during renovation, to ensure that best practices are being followed.

After the storm

Renovations can come together quite quickly today, especially with the supply chain easing. They are undoubtedly messy, however, even with the best waste management practices in place. Just as at the start of the process, an all-in deep clean is a good idea, so it is too at the end of the process. As a finishing touch to any renovation, having a professional scrub up of the premises, with a particular focus on the floors - which are easily damaged from the heavy work of renovation - will set the business up to reopen its doors and look absolutely perfect in the process. It also sets a good precedent - for you, the business owner, and for the visitors, seeing the business looking in top form before opening sets a good example to then follow between professional visits.

At the quiet time of year, there’s rarely a better time to shut up shop and get down to work with some much needed improvements. Doing it properly, and ensuring that the business is in top physical shape before, during and after the work, is the challenge. Making good habits now, and establishing a clean and clear workplace, will make the most of those opportunities and help your business thrive.

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