Commercial Property Solicitors - How Does Commercial Property Law Differ From Domestic Conveyancing?

Though they both deal with the transfer of property, the issues involved in commercial property law are very different to those associated with domestic property. In a domestic situation the legal process is fairly standard. Property solicitors are simply required to oversee the exchange of property from one owner to another. Though it may not seem so at the time, this process is relatively straightforward.

The commercial property arena is significantly different. The number and importance of the roles that commercial property solicitors are required to fulfil are a lot more varied. Firstly, the legal requirements that companies have are a lot more diverse. It is equally common for companies to want to buy, sell and lease buildings and land which are very different from those dealt with by domestic property solicitors.

Commercial property solicitors need to deal with anything from warehouse leases to agricultural purchases. This means that they must not only be familiar with the legal implications of the transactions they oversee, but also have a good understanding of the property requirements relevant to a number of different corporate sectors.

Another difference between commercial and domestic property exchanges is the importance of timing. In domestic property exchanges there is a lot of red tape which means that exchanges can take a long time to go through. In a commercial environment these delays could have huge financial implications. One very good reason to use specialist commercial solicitors is their ability to work to a deadline. Due to their experience in the particular field of commercial property law they will know the importance of completing a sale or lease contract on time. Additionally, their experience will enable them to utilise various methods to ensure that your deadlines are met.

As with most legal disciplines, using a specialist has many advantages. Compared to a non specialist solicitor, commercial property solicitors will be tuned into the specific needs of their clients. They will understand the importance of deadlines and communication. They will also understand the greatly amplified financial implications of any hold ups or problems for your business. As a result you are likely to receive a much better service as well as greatly improved results. If your company needs to buy rent or sell a property then you will want it done as quickly as possible, with the least amount of stress. You will also want the process managed by someone you can rely on. By far the best way to achieve this is by using professional commercial property solicitors.

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Turn Real Estate Profits From Old Warehouse Properties

Did you know that you can turn a dusty old warehouse into a good source of real estate income? How is this possible? Typically, the real estate wealth builder uses borrowed money to buy the warehouse property at low cost at an auction or as a distressed property.

At any given time, warehouses are available as pre-foreclosures, foreclosures and for short sales. Some warehouse facilities are of historical interest and can be purchased through historical associations, specialty realtors, and government agencies, for little, or no, money down. Warehouse facilities can be very reasonably priced because owners want to unload them after they've made changes to their business.

If you buy a warehouse, you might turn the property into a uniquely interesting and attention-getting site, serving needs of tourists or business people and residents in the area. Well-kept but rustic warehouse facilities often have special appeal and can be retrofitted into upscale restaurants, taverns, retail shops, art galleries, amusement centers and many other types of attractions.

Another option is to rent the property to an individual or business that can develop the property into a money maker.

With the right kind of property in a sensible location and some rehab, a warehouse can practically "sell itself." We've visited three former warehouse or related sites where the business is booming every day. These places were an old brick warehouse turned into a restaurant/bar, a historic postal mail building turned into a highly successful retail shopping center, and a World War II factory turned into an art gallery. 

If you're interested in buying income real estate, a warehouse facility may be worth checking into. Such unusual properties can offer advantages over traditional income properties such as apartment buildings. Potential advantages of these kinds of properties include:

Warehouse facilities can be very reasonably priced. At any given time, warehouses are available as pre-foreclosures, foreclosures and short sales.
You will typically pay less borrowed money for such a property than you will for an apartment building, yet it can have great income-producing potential.
You may be entitled to special discounts or grants which state and local governments provide to owners of historic property.
Taking into account any zoning laws on the property, you can choose what kind of business, if any, you wish to have on the property
You can decide whether you want to live and/or work at the property or whether you want to be an "absentee landlord" with a regular monthly rental income

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Lessons Learned From "HGTV's - The Stagers"

I was curious, as I'm sure the rest of you were when they announced this new program airing on HGTV on July 22nd, if it would be a true depiction of what the Staging life is like. I would have to say that it's probably the most realistic of the shows that are out there today, but still doesn't tell the whole story. Regardless, here are some things that I feel you could learn from the show.

1) Have a plan for your project. I'm actually a little shocked by the lack of planning and utter chaos that is depicted. Maybe it's just for TV drama to make it more interesting, but realistically, if that's how you are running your business, you NEED TO TAKE CONTROL immediately. My recommendation to you is a) always see the property beforehand, b) take before photos, c) map out plans for each room so that choosing inventory is more targeted and streamlined, and d) create a list of staging inventory needed. My Ultimate Staging Success Blueprint has all the tools to help you do just that. There is absolutely no reason why most projects should take more than a day. I would say 97% of the straight "staging" projects I've worked on was completed within 1 day. Anything that took more was because of the size of the project (5000+ sf home or multiple units) OR if there were delays on other related projects. When I first started my staging business, I was running back to the warehouse to pick up things we forgot or shopping at the last minute because we didn't have what we needed, and I'm not saying that you won't still have to do this occasionally, but you want to avoid these delays as much as you can and the best way to do that is to have a plan going into every single project.

2) Do be tactful with your clients. The Designers on "The Stagers" are good at keeping their opinions to a minimum in front the client. Some of the other Staging shows seem to enjoy poking fun at how awful a home looks. I'm all for being truthful and honest with your clients, but being tactful will definitely earn you more brownie points and help you maintain your professional image. Most of the time, they already know their property is not in "top selling" condition, that's why they called you. There's no reason to make a mockery of the situation. Perhaps again, the criticisms voiced are for ratings, but most real life people would not be too thrilled with you if that's how you approached them.

3) Do Keep your Inventory Organized. This is always a challenge for any Staging Company. It's a never ending struggle with having "too much" when it all comes back and not having enough when you're super busy. The Dekora warehouse featured on the show is enormous compared to probably 99% of the staging firms out there. Most of us do not have the luxury of a 10,000 sf space with seemingly unlimited inventory available. I started off with storing my inventory in our 1 car garage and back stairs when my husband & I lived in a townhouse. We eventually graduated to one large storage unit, then two, and finally to an 1100 square foot warehouse. Then there was the challenge of keeping the zones organized - linens, kitchen accessories, bath accessories, floral/greenery, silk trees, lamps, chairs, art, etc. We toyed with the idea of building shelving so that we could capitalize on the vertical space in the warehouse, but then there was the safety issue with our team members going up and down. I can't say we ever really perfected "Staging the Warehouse", but one thing we always tried to do was unpack after a destage and put everything back into their respective zones so that it was easy to pull inventory for the next project. The more disciplined you are in this area, the more sane you can remain. I actually designated Fridays or a day when there were no Staging Projects scheduled as Warehouse days - time to reorganize, clean and repair inventory.

4) Do Keep in Mind Who the Prospective Buyers will be and Design the Staging Accordingly. This skill will set you apart from just being a "wannabe" stager to being a true Real Estate Partner and a Professional Staging Designer. There are many Real Estate Agents who are guilty of this as well. They don't keep in mind who the target audience is - who would be your prospective buyer? Is it a young family? Are they empty nesters? Are they young bachelors/bachelorettes? These considerations must be top of mind when designing your Staging. It's not about just adding artwork and putting furniture into a room. The personality that is added with accessories should portray the type of lifestyle that one would want to live in that home. This is one thing that the Designers on the show are good at exploring and working with.

5) Build a Staging Team. This is something all of you should work towards. Just as on the show, they have the Staging Boss, Senior Stager, Home Stager, Staging Assistants, Movers, Handymen, etc., so should you. My role was a cross between the Staging Boss and the Senior Stager as I was never completely hands-off. Building a team to work with not only makes each project more efficient, it also makes it a lot of more fun because you can bounce creative ideas off of one another. I've had people on my team at all levels. Movers who just helped move inventory to and from the staging sites (mostly large pieces of furniture so we can totally relate to the sofa not fitting in the elevator or door - I dreaded getting those calls), Staging interns who actually did hands-on staging work, but can be the perfect team member to help wipe down furniture, clean mirrors and art, iron bedding, pump up airbeds, etc. I also strongly believe there should be a Team Lead so that there is someone who is in charge on-site, otherwise it would be too chaotic.

Here are few other tips depicted on the show that you should definitely keep in mind for your own businesses (if you're not already doing so):

* Incorporate feng shui principles in your staging (in some parts of the country, THIS IS HUGE - like So. Cal)

* Don't forget to address curb appeal issues

* Paint over unattractive, unmarketable wall colors

* Add dramatic art and accessories for high impact

* Bring rooms back to its originally intended purpose

* Don't fight with what's not working, like trying to use the

homeowner's things

* Use scale appropriate furniture

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Alice T. Chan, the Staging Designer's Success Coach, publishes the bi-weekly ezine "Set the Stage for Your Success". If you're ready to skyrocket your Staging Design business and gain credibility in record time, get your FREE tips now at http://www.SuccessfulStagingBiz.com

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