The decision to invest £500,000 in the refurbishment of an industrial unit in Portmanmoor Road, Cardiff has paid off with the arrival of five new occupiers to the site within recent months.
Joint owners Roger and Karen Lewis have converted a 26,000 sq ft unit into seven separate industrial units at Lewis Court, including demolition of part, providing new roofs, landscaping, and resurfaced yards and roads. They were advised in the marketing of the completed units by Cardiff property agents Knight Frank and Jenkins Best.
Neil Francis, who heads Knight Frank’s industrial team in the city, said: “Roger’s vision demonstrates perfectly how older units can be returned to good condition and new tenants and occupiers attracted as a result. Just a single 1,858 sq ft unit now remains vacant and we are confident of attracting an occupier in the near future.”
Within weeks of the refurbishment being completed companies were coming forward to rent or buy the units. The 5,200 sq ft Unit 2 was let to SWSS (South Wales Saab Services) on a 5 year lease, and Unit 3 was sold to Amser Building Services Limited for £138,000.
Unit 5 is currently in the process of being sold, while Unit 6 has been leased to Advanced Esthetics Solutions Limited on a five year lease. Units 7 and 8 have been leased to Specialist Cars UK on a five year lease.
Roger Lewis said: “I am really pleased with how quickly the units have been taken up by local companies and our decision to invest heavily in a high-quality refurbishment – rather than a quick coat of paint – has been fully vindicated.”
Henry Best of Jenkins Best added: “Lewis Court is a great success story. Portmanmoor Road lies on the eastern side of Ocean Park two miles south east of Cardiff City Centre and there are a number of high-profile distribution, industrial, and trade occupiers in the vicinity.”