Boosting Value: Façade Upgrades for Offices and Apartments

30 March 2018
By Remedial Team

We may be taught to never judge a book by its cover, but in real life, most people will form opinions about a person in just seconds. A building is no different, and first impressions count. When people are looking for an apartment to live in or an office space to buy or rent, they will look for buildings with attractive, safe-looking modern facades first. For obvious reasons really – who would want to live or work in a building with cracks on the external walls or worry about the risk of falling cement. Similarly, buildings with leaking windows or where the façade is reminiscent of the 60s are not things people generally see as positive.

The importance of Façade Upgrades

For building owners the requirement is clear –  a Façade Upgrade can help boost the value of your building, which it turn enables you to command a higher level of rent or sales price. Of course, a facade upgrade does require an upfront cash outlay, but ultimately, when you consider that you may get a higher sale price, can offset the cost as an expenditure or even address a significant problem before it gets to be more expensive, in the end, they can be relatively affordable.. Additionally, a well time Façade upgrade gives you the chance to reinforce the structural integrity of the building or fix whatever structural damage may be present.

The risks of a poorly maintained façade

It doesn’t matter what the paper says. Even if you have a genuine certification from an experienced engineer that says your building is structurally sound, people can be superficial. They can be paranoid that a huge crack on the facade or put off by a handrail that is rusting, thinking that this is just a sign that the building has not been looked after properly. In short, people wouldn’t be risking their lives and investments for things they “think” are not worth their money.

What is typical in a Façade Upgrade

There are a lot of different components that go in to a façade upgrade, but typically they can include:

• Structural upgrades
• Concrete repair
• Brick tie installation
• Membrane replacements
• Architectural coatings
• Balustrade and Balcony upgrades
• Window replacement
• Façade painting
• Engineered and architectural designed alterations

Structural Repairs as Part of Upgrades

Yes you can apply a ‘coat of paint’ and for the short-term, it looks good, but to ensure long-term health and safety and to lower ongoing costs and extend the value of your investments, you need to deal with the main cause of the problem. The cracks on the walls may be caused by concrete cancer-causing the concrete and bricks around them to become displaced.

At Remedial, we can work with you to assess the needs of your building and provide a range of practical, feasible solutions to ensure that you obtain great value on your facade renovation. Learn more about the process when you contact us for a no-obligation appointment today.