This section mainly applies to buying or taking on management of buildings and making significant changes, or undertaking a new build. For more information on everything in this section check out 'Your Buildings Your Future' by Matt Bridgestock in the Relevant Resources below.
If your project focuses purely on land, navigate to The Land section. Although you will still learn how to avoid pitfalls by reading through this section. You should also link up with Community Land Scotland which supports community land ownership projects.
The physical transformation of land or buildings is often the focus of most of the professional input and the business planning activity on a development or purchase project. This is understandable given the work (and creativity) involved in purchase, design and build and the capital costs of creating buildings and landscapes or improving existing ones.
Warning! Often, less attention is devoted to the effects of design and construction decisions on the future use of an asset and its management and maintenance in the longer term. These decisions may significantly affect its potential viability and sustainability.
In many ways it is important to think how your building will be managed and maintained before being built or improved to ensure they will be fit for their purpose and will not prove a drain on resources in the future.