Vacating retail and commercial tenants are responsible for removing all fittings and fixtures, and restoring their space to its original state at the end of their lease. This process, known as a commercial de-fit, “make-good”, or “strip-out”, brings the property back to a “blank slate” status for the next tenant to fit-out as required for their own purposes.
The de-fit process removes all furnishings and fixtures and resells, recycles, or disposes of these offsite. It enables a single space to potentially house many different types of retailers or other service providers throughout its lifespan.
CMLS Commercial Interiors recently performed complete de-fit works for a suburban retail hair salon at the end of its lease.
This hair salon was in a busy shopping complex. Considering the types of fittings and fixtures required to be removed from the hair salon, and the volume of work required to restore the blank canvas of the space for the next tenant, all of our works were conducted after-hours so as to cause minimal disruption to other retailers and customers, as well as to maximise safety for the general public.
The salon owner was responsible for the initial removal of furnishings, appliances, décor, and other items their business owned.
The de-fit process for this client required the complete demolition of all internal partition walls, as well as the removal of all joinery, ceilings, and framing. The existing shop front entry also needed to be removed back to the tenancy line.
We then removed all of the floorings back to the bare slab, as well as all electricals (including lighting) back to the electrical board, and all plumbing and associated fixtures back to the water meter. This was not a small job, as hair salons have unique plumbing requirements.
Once all of the items we removed had been suitably disposed of offsite, we completed the de-fit process by patching all of the perimeter walls so that they were left smooth and ready for painting or otherwise decorating by the next incoming tenant.
The result of our de-fit is an open, clean, tidy, and blank space that can now be fitted out in any way to suit any kind of business – from another salon to a café, take-away, clothing store, healthcare provider, or any other types of business, the space is ready for the next tenant to commence their shopfitting process.
A retail or commercial de-fit is a time-sensitive undertaking – landlords require strip-outs to be completed promptly at the end of a lease so that the new tenant can commence their lease, and new tenants themselves wish to launch their business as quickly as possible. We were delighted to complete this project to the highest standard and on time.
CMLS Commercial Interiors is a leading fit-out company in Sydney serving clients through to Parramatta and Penrith. From office make-good to complete de-fit and interior design, we are the right Sydney shop fitters for both the beginning and the end of your retail or commercial lease.
Contact us to explore how we can help you.