In September last year, we met with Kit Foster, Managing Director of a UK Division of a Global Food and Packaging business, and after spending the last 25 years in this Warehouse in Basingstoke, he had decided to work with the landlords and served notice within a break clause. The company relocated the facility to another one of its warehouses in the UK.
Kit has been European and now UK MD for the last 18 years, and has been through this process on many occasions, working alongside surveyors, landlords and builders to return their premises back to the owners/landlords in the same condition that they took it over and meeting all of the dilapidation requirements within the surveyor’s report.
We caught up with Kit in December as the project was in full swing, to get his feedback on how the team were performing and find out what it was that motivated him to work with a local Reading construction company.
Kit shared with us that the report from the survey was a total of 36 pages and every individual item would be checked off when the building was handed back to the landlord in July 2025. Kit knew the landlord and wanted to be sure he was working with a team who were going to respect that relationship and do a great job.
Initially, the landlord had provided a couple of builders’ quotes, but Kit wanted to work with an independent builder who was local to him, and one with whom he felt he would be able to establish a close working rapport throughout the dilapidations project. Elivate had come recommended to him and he met with Mark and the team and felt that the price was competitive and he was pleased that there was a Site Manager allocated to the project.
Arron (the site manager) has met with Kit every week and Kit said he was doing an excellent job, driving the project to remain on track, the feedback received from his surveyor has also been extremely positive, which was important as it was essential the landlord was given back exactly what they had agreed to, and no stone was left unturned.
Kit has been on site and seen the team working, he gave feedback on how collaborative everyone was and how well they all worked together. There have been a couple of challenges with changes in regulations since the Warehouse was originally occupied and these were identified throughout the works, but very quickly rectified and new prices and valuations put in to keep the project moving forward.
There are still a couple of large elements including the roof, that need to be completed, these are due in January, weather dependent, but Kit has built in plenty of time within the schedule so the landlord has the Warehouse ready for the new tenants he has waiting in the wings to move straight in.
Our team of experienced tradespeople have been on site throughout the period, including our plumbers, Reading Plumbing and Heating and AWS Electricians Limited, providing the client with a consistently high standard of workmanship.
If you are looking for a construction company, with a commercial division for your next project, office refurbishment or dilapidation job, get in touch today and book in to meet with Mark.