A retail premises needs to support the way customers find, enter and use your business. RWC Christchurch markets shops and other retail property for lease and sale. Start with the activity you want to operate and the customers you need to reach, then assess the location, premises and lease together.
Visit at the times your business would trade. Consider visibility, frontage, pedestrian routes, customer parking, public transport, nearby businesses and delivery access. Observe how people use the area; passing traffic alone does not establish customer demand or a store’s likely turnover.
Check the entrance, accessibility, shopfront, signs, lighting, security and any shared areas. Ask what rights apply to outdoor seating, display space, parking or loading. Confirm the arrangements in writing rather than assuming a space in front of the shop belongs to the tenancy.
Record the customer-facing area separately from storage, staff facilities, kitchen or preparation space. Identify what existing equipment and fit-out is included, who owns it and who will maintain or remove it. A useful floor plan shows how customers, staff and deliveries can move without getting in each other’s way.
Food, hospitality, health and other specialised uses may need extraction, plumbing, fire, accessibility, planning or licensing investigations. The presence of a former business is not confirmation that a new use is approved. Discuss landlord consent and have the relevant advisers check your proposal before you commit.
Allow for rent, GST, outgoings, fit-out, signage, utilities, professional fees and the move. Review the permitted use, lease term, renewal rights, rent reviews, guarantees, alteration approvals and reinstatement obligations with your lawyer. Ask about any restrictions or additional charges relevant to your particular premises.
Our leasing costs and terms guide helps you compare quotations. If you are buying the building, use the commercial buying checklist as a starting point for your advisers. Buying premises is a separate decision from buying the business operating there.
Present the premises with clear plans, photographs, available services, frontage and access details, the proposed availability date and a consistent rental basis. Describe potential uses carefully and identify approvals still needed. For an investment sale, bring together the tenancy documents and income information as well as the property details.
Discuss a lease appraisal or selling your commercial property with the team.
The completed Linwood retail letting illustrates the role of frontage and a prominent corner location in the way a shop is presented. Its listing names Paula Raine and Aditya Patil as contacts.
The A/10 Sheffield Crescent listing describes a former takeaway premises marketed by Brooklyn Codyre. Ask the named agent about the current opportunity and available information; a former fit-out does not establish suitability for your business.
Browse commercial property for lease or property for sale using the retail categories. Send us a premises brief with your activity, preferred locations, area, frontage, services, budget and timing. Call 03 379 4120 to discuss the next step.