Commercial property services
Understand a building’s condition, value and potential liabilities before your next decision. Independent surveying and valuation advice for owners, occupiers, investors and charities across London and the South East.
Buying business premises, taking a lease or managing an investment brings different questions. What needs repairing? What is the property worth? What might you be responsible for at the end of a tenancy? The right commercial property advice starts with the decision you need to make.
Harding Chartered Surveyors brings together building surveyors and RICS Registered Valuers. We agree a brief around your property, transaction and timescale, then match the instruction to the appropriate professional. Explore our services below, or tell us about your premises and we will help you choose.
Find the right commercial service
Commercial building surveys
Assess the visible condition of offices, shops, warehouses, industrial units and other business premises. A tailored inspection and report identifies significant defects, maintenance needs and further investigations to consider before committing. The brief can reflect the building, proposed use and available access.
Commercial property valuations
An evidence-based opinion of value for an agreed purpose and date. Our RICS Registered Valuers consider the property, relevant leases and market evidence. Tell us whether the report is for a transaction, accounts, tax, lending or another purpose so the correct instruction can be agreed.
Dilapidations advice
Advice for landlords and tenants on repair, decoration and reinstatement matters. A surveyor can inspect, prepare a schedule or help assess a claim, depending on your appointment. Bring the lease and any existing schedule of condition so the instruction addresses the relevant property obligations.
Schedules of condition
A dated written and photographic record of the premises. Commonly commissioned before a commercial lease begins, it establishes the condition recorded at inspection. Ask your solicitor how the schedule should be incorporated into the lease; the document and the lease wording need to work together.
Commercial roof surveys
Focused advice where leaks, ageing coverings or maintenance questions need closer attention. We agree the inspection scope and safe access arrangements before the visit. The findings can help you understand visible defects and decide what repairs, specialist access or further investigation should follow.
Rent reviews
Professional advice for landlords and tenants considering a rent review. The lease provisions and relevant rental evidence shape the assessment and negotiations. Share the lease, review correspondence and any important dates early, so we can understand the position and confirm how we can assist.
Charities Act valuations
Specialist property valuation and reporting for charity trustees. Explain the proposed transaction and the advice your charity requires so we can agree the appropriate service. The scope should reflect the property, the charity’s circumstances and the requirements identified with its professional advisers.
Expert witness reports
Where a commercial property dispute needs a specialist opinion, an appropriately experienced expert can investigate the defined issues and provide independent evidence. Send the background, relevant documents and any procedural deadlines. We will confirm whether the matter falls within our expertise before accepting the instruction.
Look beyond the viewing
A viewing may tell you that a building suits your business. It rarely answers every question about its fabric, repairs and future expenditure. Roof coverings, external walls, alterations, inaccessible areas and maintenance history can all affect the practical picture.
A commercial building survey gives you condition advice within an agreed scope. For a proposed lease, it is useful to review the findings alongside the draft lease and your solicitor’s advice. Repairing obligations and the allocation of costs deserve attention before the terms are settled.
If you also need an independent opinion of value, commission a commercial property valuation. A condition survey and a valuation answer different questions; tell us when you need both so we can confirm the separate work required.
A clearer record. Better preparation.
Commercial property advice is useful throughout a tenancy, from recording the premises at the start to understanding repair issues as a lease approaches its end. An organised record can make later discussions more informed.
A schedule of condition records what was visible at a particular date. Its effect on a tenant’s obligations depends on how it is used in the lease. Dilapidations advice addresses a different task: considering alleged or anticipated breaches of the relevant repairing and reinstatement provisions.
For rent reviews, send us the lease rather than relying on an assumption about how the rent should change. Our rent review service considers the property and market evidence in the context of the instruction. Your legal adviser should advise on the legal effect of the lease provisions.
What our clients say
A quotation around your property
Commercial instructions vary too much for one fee to suit every building. A small shop, an occupied office and a multi-unit industrial property can require very different access arrangements, inspections and reporting.
Useful details include the address, approximate floor area, property type, occupation, tenure and the decision or deadline involved. Share any plans, leases, previous reports or photographs that help explain the brief. If specialist access or an additional investigation is needed, we can discuss this when agreeing the scope.
Use the quotation form below to start. Some services and larger or more complex properties require an individual quotation. Before appointment, we confirm the work, fee, expected reporting arrangements and important limitations, so you can assess the service as well as the price.
The right expertise for the brief
Established in 1997, Harding is an independent RICS-regulated practice. Our commercial work includes building condition, formal valuation, landlord and tenant matters, and specialist property evidence. These disciplines are connected, but each needs the appropriate experience.
We work with owners, occupiers, investors and professional advisers across London and the South East. Tell us the postcode and property type so we can confirm coverage and availability for the service you need.
Meet the Harding team or contact us to discuss an unusual property, a combined instruction or a question that does not fit neatly into a service category. A clear brief at the start helps the report focus on your actual decision.
How we can help
Tell us the decision
Share the property details, service required and any lease, transaction or reporting deadline.
Agree the brief
We confirm the appropriate specialist, scope, information required and quotation before appointment.
Arrange the work
Access and investigations are organised around the agreed service and the property’s circumstances.
Understand the findings
Receive the agreed report and discuss the material findings and recommended next steps.
Frequently asked questions
Is a commercial building survey the same as a valuation?
No. A building survey considers condition, defects and maintenance within an agreed scope. A valuation provides an opinion of value for a stated purpose and date. If you need both, explain this at the outset so the relevant professionals and reports can be arranged.
Should I arrange a survey before signing a commercial lease?
An inspection before commitment can help you understand visible condition and potential repair exposure. A schedule of condition may also be useful. Discuss the findings and how any schedule is incorporated into the lease with your solicitor before agreeing the terms.
Do you advise both commercial landlords and tenants?
Yes. The practice provides services for owners and occupiers, including surveys, schedules of condition, dilapidations and rent reviews. We confirm the client, purpose, scope and any relevant conflicts before accepting an instruction.
Can you inspect an occupied commercial property?
Tell us about occupation and access when requesting a quote. The inspection arrangements need to reflect the premises, occupiers and any safety or security restrictions. Areas that cannot be inspected should be identified as limitations, with further investigation recommended where appropriate.
What information should I send for a commercial valuation?
Start with the address, property type, approximate area, tenure, occupation and purpose of the valuation. Leases, rent schedules, plans and relevant transaction documents can help. If a lender or another organisation will rely on the report, tell us its requirements before instruction.
How soon will I receive my report?
Timing depends on the service, access, documents and complexity of the property. Share any transaction or procedural deadline when you contact us. We will discuss availability and reporting arrangements before appointment rather than assuming that every commercial instruction follows the same timetable.
Request a commercial property quote
Choose the commercial service you need and tell us about the premises. For rent reviews, charity instructions or a specialist dispute, include the background so we can direct your enquiry. More complex work may need an individual quotation.
