5 Strategies to Optimise Your Warehouse for Real Estate
The term fixer-upper can mean many things, from ‘slap some paint on the walls and it looks brand new’ to ‘will this building collapse if we open the front door?’ Indeed, in the dicey world of commercial property acquisition, each warehouse you buy will probably fall into both camps.
Thinking about the viability of warehouses in your commercial property portfolio has become ever more vital; the real estate agency Savills commented in 2024: ‘The role of the warehouse has never been more important, and the amount of warehouse space needed continues to rise.’ This is in part due to the increased need for them to hold online stock that would have previously been kept in brick-and-mortar shops. Savills even went so far as to call 2024 ‘The Year of Warehousing’.
The dynamism of these spaces has also become a major consideration, as products are stored, sorted, packaged and sent off from these bases. And so warehouses are no longer white elephants containing dusty boxes and surplus stock; the online delivery era we live in has made them hurry-scurry hubs of technology with legions of staff and oodles of space.
What does all this mean if you’ve freshly acquired a warehouse? Well, that you’ll have to put in some elbow grease to bring it up to a credible industry standard.
To help you on this tricky journey, here are a few tips.
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Water Leak Detection
In a building as vast and labyrinthine as a warehouse, leaks from pipes or other sources can build up over time without anyone noticing. Left unchecked, the impact of a water leak could be catastrophic on a building, leaving you shelling out thousands of dollars for repairs.
If you’ve recently purchased a warehouse, then investing in a water leak detection service like Laiier is a safe bet. They’ll install devices throughout your premises that will make the detection of burst pipes simple and fuss-free.
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Get Organized
Anyone interested in owning a warehouse will first and foremost be exploring how it will allow them to simply prioritize their inventory. Your job as someone modernizing a warehouse is to make that process as easy for them as possible. That means warehouse racks, empty space for pallet racks and ample room for inventory storage.
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The Workflow
Somewhat related to organizing an inventory, a visible workflow for staff is vital. This is even more relevant when it’s being used in the picking of products for prompt delivery. This is known as the ‘picking workflow’, which includes considerations for batch picking and item sourcing.
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On the receiving end
The modern warehouse should also have adequate space to receive packages for quick subsummation. This means you should have an area that checks every truck and shipment, including the quality and integrity of seals.
For those bigger jobs, you’ll also need forklift trucks and pallet jacks (which, in turn, means you’ll need somewhere to store bulky equipment).
You may feel like you’ve optimized your warehouse to its fullest, but only quantitative data will confirm your achievements. Do a call-out for prospective buyers to survey the property and let them highlight its assets and deficiencies. Rinse and repeat that process until your property is fit for the marketplace.
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