Maximising Investment Value in the City of London

Smart real estate management has turned around a fringe investment property and maximised value.

Challenge

An individual approached us wanting to invest in commercial property in London in a way that could maximise investment returns. He had identified an office building on the City Fringe that was poorly maintained and poorly managed. The building had more than 70 separate tenants, each with one to two rooms, and a number of communal kitchens on each floor. The layout was extremely inefficient, with vast amounts of dead space within the building. The would-be purchaser believed there was scope dramatically to improve the building’s commercial performance and investment value, if he could change its internal design and manage the tenancies appropriately.

Inspiration

Asserson helped the client buy the property, and he then asked us to assist him in turning it around. We worked with him to improve the value of the building as a whole by ending a number of the small tenancies, relocating clients within the building where that was appropriate, and advising in relation to the construction contracts to carry out works which could improve the floor space.

Result

The number of individual tenancies reduced massively – and the number of more substantial tenancies increased. The volume of office space within the building has increased massively, with many partitions taken out, the communal kitchens removed, and corridor space re-purposed. This has also improved the quality of the office environment, increasing light within the building, and made it more attractive to businesses as a location. Asserson continues to assist in the ongoing management of the building, and the client is looking for another similar acquisition.