Essential Checklist For Your Commercial Renovation (Office, F&B Outlet, Retail)

Planning for your company’s renovation can be a tedious and stressful process. There are many aspects which we have to take into consideration in order for a renovation project to run smoothly. From having to engage a renovation company, you will also need to source for commercial interior designer, conduct inspections, design layouts … and the list goes on.

In this article, we will cover renovation checklists for office, F&B outlet and retail respectively.

To increase your chances for a successful renovation, it is important to list down certain questions and address areas of concern upfront. These include:

  1. What is the main purpose of the renovation? (e.g. are you remodelling your office, making improvements to your existing space or installing specific equipment?)
  2. What is your budget for the project?
  3. What issues will affect the schedule of the project? (e.g. Failed inspection, unsuitable commercial interior designer, miscommunication with renovators)
  4. What are the regulations that we need to adhere to? (e.g. Fire safety, sprinkler and venting system)

Next, here are the checklists for your reference when you are planning for renovations:

  1. Office Renovation

renovation

  • Engage only qualified contractors and experienced commercial interior designers

It is important to hire only registered contractors that are experienced in the specific field that your project entails. To avoid pitfalls, ask for their portfolio and references from past clients and check them carefully. See what kind of remodelling or renovating jobs they have done to see if their speciality fits your vision as well. Do not hesitate to request for a copy of the design layout from your architect or commercial interior designer!

  • Licensed electrician and plumber

Make sure you engage a licensed plumber and electrician. After the renovation is completed, ensure that they conduct a professional electrical and plumbing inspection throughout your entire office to ensure that everything is in order.

  • Cleaning services

After all that renovation, you can be sure the whole place will be dusty and unfit for work! Engage a good cleaning company to keep your space clean and dust-free for your employees to be productive all year round.

  • Colour composition

It is a proven fact that colours prevailing in the interior can greatly affect our mood, hence our productivity. Using joyous and pleasant colours helps to enhance working aptitude of your employees.  You can consult with a professional commercial interior designer to create unique and efficient interior colour pattern.

 

  1. F&B Renovation

  • Source for a good commercial interior designer and contractor

A good restaurant design is the first step to creating an impression and attracting new customers into your restaurant. Repeat business will come after being satisfied by the restaurant’s ambience and atmosphere. This is one key area to focus on for a successful F&B outlet.

  • Kitchen Layout

The planning of your kitchen layout has to be the most optimal, efficient manner. Get a commercial interior designer who is professional in kitchen planning if you are unsure. Reason being, this can increase productivity and operational efficiency significantly.

  • Kitchen Equipment

The right kitchen equipment is key to a successful F&B venture. Amateur entrepreneurs often try to DIY by buying individual pieces equipment, like countertops, boilers, fryers, and self-assembling. This seems to make sense on the surface, but in actuality they often result in process problems when the workflow of the kitchen has not been designed properly- people get in each others’ way, have not enough space to work, reducing productivity in results in more headcount required. The wrong equipment also forces unwelcome constraints on the kitchen staff that affects the quality and efficiency of the kitchen output.

In this labour-crunched economy, that sort of inefficiency has rang the death knell for many F&B businesses. Usually people engage restaurant consultants or kitchen equipment and layout consultants to help them optimise their kitchens and make it a holistic whole.

  • Grease Trap Installation & Fire Safety Regulations

Your F&B outlet must have a grease trap installed to prevent the discharge of oils, fats, grease directly into the sewage system. You need to apply to PUB for a permit to install a grease trap. Installation is mandatory and non compliance will be penalised. Also, instructions concerning fire safety control ought to be implemented.

  • Location

Many new food entrepreneurs will compromise on location either due to cheaper rent, or impatience, then come to regret it eventually. Passer-by human traffic is a lot more valuable than saving on rent. You might save on rent in the short run, but have to spend even more effort and money on marketing your poor location.

  • Food consultant

If you lack relevant experience and knowledge to starting a F&B outlet, it is time you should hire a food consultant and leverage on his experience. A badly planned concept can lose you tons of money, way more than what it costs to hire a food consultant!

  1. Retail Renovation

retail

  • Designing your store concept

Designing a retail store takes a lot of time. Do consult a professional commercial interior designer or architect so as to deliver the best experience to your customers. The more complex your concept is, the more time and money it needs. A word of advise – Do not start renovation while the planning phase is still in progress. In the end, you might end up wasting your time and money!

  • Reputable contractor

As mentioned in the above 2 categories, make sure you choose your contractors wisely! Some contractors might quote a very cheap price, but that usually means they are using cheap materials to build, which are less durable and may need to be replaced or refurbished after a year, incurring more expenses. Do make sure they understand retail spaces well and are capable of producing quality results.

  • Security Installation

CCTV surveillance systems is important as it minimises theft and other criminal activity such as shoplifting and employee theft. Start engaging a security consultant to protect your hard earned profits today!

  • Printing

Banners and posters are MUST-HAVES especially if your location is not directly visible from heavy traffic flows areas. These will ensure that passers-by know about your store and put the idea of heading to visit at your location.

All being said, plan it well right from the start and do not hesitate to get experienced help. The most important thing to note is a hire a good commercial interior designer and contractor. Good luck and wishing you success for your business endeavours!

 

For a one-size fits all software, ThunderQuote has the perfect solution for you, join our enterprise system that will allow you to easily get vendors from right within your system!

ThunderQuote is the most comprehensive business services portal in Singapore, Australia and ASEAN , where hundreds of thousands of dollars of procurement contracts are sourced every month by major companies like Singapore Press Holdings, National Trade Union Congress and more.

Share this article !

2 comments

  1. Kitchen Equipment Installation is also an essential part of the Commercial Renovation check list. From my point of view one should also appoint specialist for kitchen equipment installation like you mention in the article for Renovation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *