In an ideal world, your next retail unit would be in tip-top condition, ready for you to start selling your goods from day one. The reality can be much more frustrating for growing retailers that want to maintain their momentum and exposure with consumers.

In fact, it’s very common for new tenants of retail properties to undertake fit out works to make it fully fit for purpose. Fitting out a retail space can range from anything from a basic lick of paint and putting up some new shelving and displays through to more complex structural changes to the layout of the store.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s cosmetic or structural, fit outs can be expensive for your business. First and foremost, you’re having to pay up front for the new materials and accessories for the premises’ new look. Secondly, it’s quite possible that your new property landlord will demand rent from the day you move in. This means that you could be left paying rent on a closed store that’s undergoing renovation – a lose-lose situation, particularly as you aren’t generating an income to cover the cost of your fit out or rent.

Subsequently, it’s not unreasonable for new tenants of retail stores to request rent-free periods during the infancy of their tenancy. Most fair landlords will agree to this, allowing you the time and money to make the necessary changes before moving in and opening your new-look premises to the masses.

You will more than likely be pushing your luck if you try to ask the landlord to cover the cost of your fit out. That’s because the store should already be in a condition that it could be used from day one. Unless there are severe issues such as electrical or plumbing problems, you will probably have to cover the cost of an interior design that’s unique to your business. It is possible that your landlord may consider granting a longer rent-free period if your fit out is highly likely to enhance the long-term value of the property once your lease ends.

Benefit from turnkey fit out services at Pall Mall Estates

In order to make the moving in process all the more seamless for tenants, at Pall Mall Estates we offer a bespoke fit out service for specific commercial units requiring refurbishment to make them fit for purpose.

There are some instances where the retail unit is in the perfect location for a business – and it’s within their budget. As an owner-manager of 5.5 million square feet of business space nationwide, at Pall Mall Estates we’re firm believers in matching the right tenant to the right property – and vice versa. If our end-to-end fit out services can make it easier for the right tenant to move in, we’ll do whatever we can to help.

The benefit to the tenant is that they have a single point of contact for the fit out project, with our experienced project managers committed to keeping them regularly updated on our progress.

It’s this commitment to flexibility and going the extra mile for our tenants that makes Pall Mall Estates one of the leading landlords of high-value, low-cost business space in the UK.

To find out our available commercial properties with fit out services attached, visit our commercial fit out services page. Alternatively, you can contact our property agents for more information by calling 020 8108 7391 or emailing the team using our online enquiry form.

—