Buying or leasing a commercial property in Andover is a significant commitment, and what you cannot see can cost you the most, whether you are acquiring a warehouse on one of the town’s business parks or a period building in the centre. Bressummer A.R.K. are RICS chartered building surveyors providing detailed Commercial Building Surveys across Andover and the wider Test Valley and Hampshire area. We give buyers, investors and tenants a clear, honest understanding of a building’s true condition before they commit, so there are no expensive surprises after completion.

Why a Commercial Building Survey matters in Andover

A Commercial Building Survey is a thorough inspection and report on the condition of a commercial property, identifying defects, disrepair, and the maintenance and repair costs you are likely to face. It is the single most important piece of technical due diligence a purchaser or incoming tenant can carry out. Andover’s commercial stock is unusually varied for a town of its size: large warehouse, distribution and industrial units on Walworth Business Park, Andover Business Park and Portway Industrial Estate; a substantial quantity of expansion-era commercial property from the 1960s and 1970s that is now ageing; and a historic town centre of period, Georgian and Victorian buildings, including within the conservation area. Each carries its own risks: on the industrial units, ageing flat and profiled roofs, cladding, structural frames and worn service yards; in the expansion-era stock, tired roofs, dated services and deferred maintenance; and in the older town-centre buildings, damp, structural movement, timber decay and the complications of buildings that have changed use over time. A survey turns these unknowns into a clear picture, giving you the facts to negotiate on price, plan for repairs, or walk away.

The cost of skipping a survey is rarely worth the saving. A defect that might have been spotted before purchase, a failing industrial roof or hidden damp in an older Andover building, can translate into tens of thousands of pounds of unexpected expenditure once you own it. Our role is to make sure you go in with your eyes open.

How much does a Commercial Building Survey cost in Andover?

We aim to be transparent with our cost of services and have produced a table showing the range of our fees below, depending on the size of the property.

If you have a number of properties then give us a call or contact us to get a bespoke quote for portfolio work – Contact Us

Property Size (sq ft) Estimated Fees 
Under 1,000 < £1,200
1,000 – 2,000 £1,200 – £1,500
2,000 – 5,000 £1,500 – £2,500
5,000 – 10,000 £2,500 – £4,000
10,000 – 50,000 £4,000 – £5,500
50,000 £5,500 +

All our fees are fully inclusive of travel, office and disbursement costs in order to carry out our services, with no ‘hidden extras’.

Check out our latest blogs to see what a commercial building survey can offer:

 

 

Commercial chartered building surveyor in Andover writing a report.

The team at Bressummer A.R.K Ltd have conducted a significant amount of work for the organisation I represent. I can confirm their values of; “Authenticity, Reliability and, Knowledge” are indeed displayed consistently. They have been able to fulfil all service requests, sometimes at short-notice and always high quality. The accuracy of reporting and recommendations has enabled us to develop workable plans and take appropriate action.

John - Test Valley Borough Council

It’s good to talk.

It’s important, in order for us to understand your requirements from the outset in order to give the best commercial building consultancy advice we can.

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What our Andover commercial building survey covers

We provide a comprehensive assessment of the property, tailored to its type and your reasons for acquiring it. Our surveys examine the structure and external fabric, including roofs, elevations, cladding, windows and rainwater goods; the internal condition, including floors, floor slabs, walls, ceilings and finishes; the mechanical and electrical services; and external areas such as car parks, service yards and boundaries. On Andover’s industrial and distribution units we pay particular attention to the large roof areas, cladding and yards that drive so much of the repair cost, and on its older stock to the damp, movement and dated services common in period and expansion-era buildings. We identify defects, assess their seriousness and likely cost, and flag any matters that warrant further specialist investigation. Roof and high-level inspections use drone technology as standard and at no additional cost, allowing us to assess the large industrial roofs and the tall roofs of older buildings safely and accurately. The result is a clear, practical report in plain language, with the senior attention of a chartered surveyor throughout.

The full technical due diligence package

A Commercial Building Survey answers the question, what condition is this building in today? But for a buyer or investor in Andover, that is only part of the picture. The smartest acquisitions are supported by a full technical due diligence package, in which we combine the building survey with our other services to give you complete certainty before you commit. When you are purchasing a property, we can carry out a Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA) alongside the survey, so you know from day one that the building will be correctly insured for its true rebuilding cost, which on an Andover industrial unit or period building, where reinstatement costs are easily underestimated, is particularly valuable; and a Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) plan, so you have a costed, forward-looking schedule of the repairs and maintenance the building will need over the coming years, invaluable for the ongoing care that ageing industrial and period property demands. Together these turn a one-off snapshot into a complete operational and financial picture: condition, insurance and future liabilities, all assessed by one trusted adviser and delivered together.

When you are acquiring a leasehold property rather than buying the freehold, the package changes shape but the principle holds. Alongside the survey we would recommend a Schedule of Condition, a photographic record of the property’s condition at the start of your lease that can dramatically limit your dilapidations liability when the lease ends. For an Andover tenant taking space on full repairing terms, often in ageing industrial or expansion-era buildings already showing wear, this combination, a survey to understand the building and a Schedule of Condition to protect your position, is one of the most cost-effective forms of protection available. Instructing these services together is more efficient and we offer a reduced overall fee where they are carried out at the same time.

Our complete Technical Due Diligence package for commercial property acquistion.

For a purchase, the complete package runs in three coordinated strands; Building Survey, Reinstatement Cost Assessment and Planned Preventative Maintenance schedule.

Commercial Building Survey

First, the Commercial Building Survey establishes the current condition of the building and its defects.

Reinstatement Cost Assessment (RCA)

Second, the Reinstatement Cost Assessment confirms the correct sum insured, so you are neither under- nor over-insured from the moment you complete.

Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)

Third, the Planned Preventative Maintenance plan sets out the costed repairs and maintenance the building will need over the next several years, so you can budget with confidence rather than react to problems as they arise.

Who we help in Andover

We act for a broad range of clients across Andover, including buyers and investors acquiring commercial property; tenants taking new leases who want to understand what they are committing to; owners and asset managers planning maintenance or refurbishment; and solicitors and agents seeking a responsive, expert surveyor for their clients. We have advised on over 500,000 square feet of commercial space and saved clients more than one million pounds across our consultancy work, and we bring that same senior, practical expertise to every survey, whatever the size of the building.

Why Andover buyers choose us

We combine genuine technical expertise, across both the industrial and the period buildings Andover is known for, with a refreshingly straightforward, personable approach. Every client is allocated a chartered building surveyor who handles the matter personally, our reports are clear and practical rather than impenetrable, and we are responsive and direct when you need answers quickly, which on a live acquisition you usually do. Based nearby at Hursley, near Winchester, we attend Andover promptly. Where larger firms can be remote and slow, we are accessible and fast, giving you the senior attention your purchase deserves. And because we offer the full range of building consultancy services in-house, we can support you well beyond the survey, into insurance, maintenance and lease protection, as a single, joined-up adviser.

Common issues we find in Andover commercial buildings

Experience across the area means we know what to look for in Andover’s building stock. On the warehouse and distribution units on the business parks we frequently find ageing roof coverings and rooflights, worn or damaged cladding, corrosion to structural steelwork, cracked or worn floor slabs, and service yards in poor repair. In the expansion-era commercial stock from the 1960s and 1970s we regularly see tired flat roofs nearing replacement, dated mechanical and electrical services, and deferred maintenance that has accumulated over decades. In the older town-centre and conservation-area buildings we more often find damp in solid walls, structural movement, timber decay, and services and fire-separation that have not kept pace with changes of use. None of these need necessarily stop a purchase, but each is a reason to know before you commit, so the findings can inform your price and your plans.

Featured Case Studies

Chartered building surveyor looking at the camera during a dilapidations survey.

I used Bressummer A.R.K for a pre lease survey on a commercial property in Brighton.

The whole experience was excellent and the survey highlighted some very important structural defects that others had missed. In doing so Derek and his team saved me 10's of thousands, extremely happy.

Sam R.

Commonly asked questions on commercial building surveys

Our answers to the questions we are most frequently asked on commercial building surveys in Andover

Featured FAQs

  • What is the difference between a commercial building survey and a valuation?

    A building survey assesses the physical condition of the property, its defects and repair needs. A valuation assesses what the property is worth. They answer different questions, and a lender’s valuation is not a substitute for a survey.

  • Should I get a survey before buying or leasing in Andover?

    Yes. Whether buying or taking a lease, a survey gives you the facts to negotiate, budget and decide with confidence. On leasehold acquisitions, particularly of ageing industrial units, we also recommend a Schedule of Condition to limit future dilapidations liability.

  • Do you cover all of Andover and the Test Valley?

    Yes. We act across Andover, including the town centre and the Walworth, Andover Business Park and Portway estates, and throughout the Test Valley and Hampshire, easily reached from our base at Hursley, near Winchester.

Speak to an Andover Commercial Building Survey surveyor

If you are buying or leasing commercial property in Andover and want to understand exactly what you are taking on, it is good to talk. We will give you clear, pragmatic advice from a chartered building surveyor, and can build a full technical due diligence package around your purchase. Call us, email us, or book a consultation.

 

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Other services

We provide specialist building surveying services for commercial landlords, tenants and investors across the lifecycle of a commercial property. Check out the other services we offer by clicking on the boxes below.