CASE STUDY · SALFORD
Too many assumptions before purchase.
Property conversion · Pre-Purchase Feasibility · Development Consultancy
The situation
An investor came to us considering a property conversion in Salford. Their budget assumed that additional accommodation could be created, but the planning route and structural implications had not been assessed. The purchase decision therefore depended on assumptions that could materially change the scheme.
What we did
We identified the assumptions affecting usable area, scope and programme, and set out the planning, survey and structural input needed. We also compared a more conservative use of the building with the proposed conversion, so the investor could see how dependent the proposal was on the preferred layout.
Our recommendation and the trade-offs
We recommended pausing the decision while the critical evidence was obtained. The issue was not that conversion was necessarily impossible; it was that proceeding immediately would turn unanswered questions into acquisition risk.
What we made clear
We explained the limits of our review and the need for independent legal, valuation and funding advice. Our contribution was a clearer decision framework, not a valuation or an approval to purchase.
Apply the lesson to your project
Is this property still worth buying once the works are included?