Buying or leasing a commercial property in Bournemouth is a significant commitment, and what you cannot see can cost you the most, particularly in a coastal town with a great deal of older and converted stock. Bressummer A.R.K. are RICS chartered building surveyors providing detailed Commercial Building Surveys across Bournemouth and the wider Dorset 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 Bournemouth

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. Bournemouth’s commercial stock is varied and, in much of the town, older and exposed: town-centre and Lansdowne offices, a large quantity of Victorian and Edwardian buildings and former hotels converted to office, residential or care use, seafront and coastal premises, and retail across the centre, Boscombe and Westbourne. Each carries its own risks: ageing roofs and rainwater goods, salt air corrosion and weathering on coastal buildings, damp and structural movement in older property, dated services in converted premises, 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 roof or hidden damp in an older Bournemouth 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 Bournemouth?

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:

 

 

It’s good to talk.

Commercial chartered building surveyor in Andover writing a report.

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., Brighton

What our Bournemouth 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, render, windows and rainwater goods; the internal condition, including floors, walls, ceilings and finishes; the mechanical and electrical services; and external areas such as car parks, yards and boundaries. We pay particular attention to the weathering, damp and corrosion issues common in Bournemouth’s coastal and older buildings, and 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 tall and complex roofs of the town’s Victorian and converted 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 Bournemouth, 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 a Bournemouth period or converted 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 older, coastal 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.

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 Bournemouth

We act for a broad range of clients across Bournemouth, 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 Bournemouth buyers choose us

We combine genuine technical expertise, including with the coastal and period buildings Bournemouth 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. 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 Bournemouth commercial buildings

Experience across the area means we know what to look for in Bournemouth’s building stock. On the town’s many Victorian, Edwardian and converted buildings we frequently find ageing and patched roof coverings, damp in solid walls, tired or failing render, timber decay, and services and fire-separation that have not kept pace with a building’s change of use, an especially common issue in former hotels and guest houses converted to offices, apartments or care use.

On coastal and seafront premises we regularly see salt-air corrosion to metalwork and railings, weather damage to roofs and windows, and render and external fabric that have taken a battering from the marine environment. In the modern office stock around Lansdowne we more often see dated mechanical and air-conditioning plant approaching costly replacement. 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

The front elevation of Midland House in Bournemouth ahead of a commercial building survey.

Derek completed a structural condition report for me on a hotel and I was very pleased with the quality and detail of the report.

Harry - Hive Opco Ltd, Isle of Wight

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 Bournemouth?

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

  • Do you cover all of Bournemouth and Dorset?

    Yes. We act across Bournemouth, including the town centre, Lansdowne, Boscombe, Westbourne and Southbourne, and throughout the BCP and Dorset area including Poole and Christchurch, within reach from our base near Winchester.

Tenant dilapidations surveyor surveying an industrial property in Andover.

Speak to a Bournemouth Commercial Building Survey surveyor

If you are buying or leasing commercial property in Bournemouth 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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