CLIENT CASE STUDY
Type of Property: Care Home
Client: Private Developer
Situation
A former care home in Clapham which had previously been managed by another property guardian company and had fallen into an uninhabitable condition. On completing a comprehensive inspection, we noted that significant investment was needed from LOWE to ensure it was suitable for guardian occupation and carried out a full fit-out of the property, ensuring that it was habitable, secure and fully compliant with health and safety standards. This included installing a new fire system, certifying the electrics and gas and re-painting and carpeting the entire building. Once completed, our Guardian Services team carried out a rigorous vetting process to ensure only the most socially responsible guardians occupied the property.
Client: “Upon seeing the state of the property, we were really taken aback – the building had fallen into a state of disrepair under the previous operator, with no compliance documents available, no fire alarm system and some major issues with the physical integrity of the building. Fortunately, we already had an established relationship with LOWE having worked with them before and trusted their approach to take control of the development and get things back on track. LOWE carried out a substantial fitout, including the installation of a new fire alarm system, full electrical testing and sufficient certification, installation of new kitchens and shower facilities, as well as major painting and decorating work in a matter of weeks, and now the property is fully compliant.”
Solution
- Carried out a health and safety audit to assess the current compliance of the property prior to any works being carried out.
- Placed 24/7 security on the property during the fit out and refurbishment programme due to the risk of leaving the property unprotected.
- Carried out a full refurbishment of the property in a matter of weeks; including the installation of a new fire alarm system to ensure it was compliant with fire standards, a full electrical testing and sufficient certification, the installation of new kitchens and shower facilities as well as major painting and decorating work.
- Selected 30 young professional, key workers and creatives to occupy the property and to ensure 24-hour security coverage within the building.
- Appointed a Head Guardian to carry out daily checks on the property and report any issues or maintenance needed.
Outcome
- A well-managed, secure property with 30 young professionals, key workers and creatives with an affordable rental solution in central London.
- A secure property that is fully compliant with all Health and Safety standards and the insurer’s requirements.
- A cost neutral solution that saved our client substantial fees that would have been incurred on conventional security measures.
Head Guardian: “This is a fantastic property and exactly how a guardian scheme should operate. There are 30 people living here, and although it’s a large group, we all share the same values. The majority of us come from a creative or artistic background so there’s a really positive vibe, and there’s always something going on; you’ll find some people playing pool or table tennis, we have a film projector for movie nights, there’s always someone in the kitchen for a cup of tea and we have a BBQ night at least once a month – even in winter! Here it’s all about a positive community, and I’m really proud to be Head Guardian and live with such a great group of likeminded people.”
BEFORE:
AFTER:
If you have a vacant building and you would like to find out how our bespoke service can work for you, contacts us today for a free consultation report with our recommendations on how best to protect your building.