Specialist Services

Service Charge Consulting

We specialise in a comprehensive evaluation of your service charge expenditures. Whether you occupy a single property or an extensive portfolio, we meticulously scrutinise these costs to confirm they meet several essential criteria:

Lease Conformity: They are permissible for recovery under the explicit terms of your lease agreement.

Justification: The amounts charged are equitable and reasonable.

Value Proposition: They deliver genuine economic value for the services rendered.

Occupier Advantage: They benefit you, the tenant, in your occupancy.

Industry Standards: They align with established best practices within the property management sector.

Numerical Accuracy: All underlying calculations are precise and free from error.

Should our diligent review uncover any significant discrepancies or clear errors in the service charge assessment, you may be entitled to a reimbursement.

Leveraging the Statute of Limitations, we possess the capability to investigate historical service charges up to six years prior (or five years in Scotland) to secure a refund for any overpayments or incorrect levies where such a refund is warranted.

It is paramount to recognise that your lease agreement serves as the definitive legal instrument; its provisions are absolute and cannot be overridden by any other factor. Each lease is a unique document, meticulously setting out the precise framework for cost recovery and the administrative protocols for service charges. This intricate detail encompasses which items are eligible for charging, any stipulated spending caps, methods for cost apportionment, and any specific exclusions. Both lessors and lessees are legally bound to strictly adhere to these contractual covenants. Our team possesses extensive expertise in dissecting lease documents to ensure that all charges recovered are in full and correct alignment with these binding obligations.

Drone Services

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the demand for precise data and dynamic visual content is paramount. Keystone FM Consultants stands at the forefront of this technological shift, offering bespoke drone services meticulously tailored to elevate your operations and meet your unique requirements. We leverage cutting-edge drone technology and expert piloting to deliver unparalleled efficiency, safety, and insight across a multitude of sectors.

Our comprehensive suite of services is designed to address a diverse array of professional needs. For projects demanding accuracy and detailed spatial information, our high-altitude surveying capabilities provide comprehensive topographic data, accurate site mapping, and critical volume calculations. We revolutionize how industries like construction, mining, and urban planning approach their preliminary and ongoing assessments, translating into faster project timelines, reduced manual labour, and significantly enhanced data integrity for informed decision-making from the ground up.

Beyond mapping, our detailed inspection services offer a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Whether it's evaluating the structural integrity of towering infrastructure, scrutinising energy assets, or performing routine checks on vast utility networks, our drones can access hard-to-reach areas with unprecedented precision. This minimises risks to personnel, reduces operational downtime, and allows for proactive maintenance, ultimately extending asset lifespans and ensuring continuity.

Furthermore, the visual storytelling potential of drones is truly transformative. Keystone FM Consultants captures breath-taking photography and cinematic videography that simply isn't possible from the ground. From showcasing prime real estate properties and documenting large-scale event panoramas to providing compelling marketing content and tracking project progress with stunning aerial perspectives, our visual solutions are designed to captivate and inform. These high-definition visuals add a significant layer of professionalism and engagement to any project or campaign, helping you tell your story with impact.

Central to our promise is an unwavering commitment to safety, professionalism, and reliability. All our pilots are fully licensed and insured, adhering to the strictest regulatory standards and best practices in every mission. This ensures not only the flawless execution of every project but also provides our clients with complete peace of mind, knowing their operations are in expert hands. We pride ourselves on delivering not just precise data and stunning visuals, but consistent excellence and unparalleled trust.

Discover how Keystone FM Consultants' aerial solutions can unlock new potentials for your organization. By providing the precise data and stunning visuals you need, we empower you to gain a competitive edge, optimise processes, and make smarter, more strategic decisions. Let us help you see your world from a new perspective and transform your operational capabilities.

Pre Development Consultancy

The Foundations of Future Performance: Unlocking Value with Pre-Development FM Consultancy.

Every grand vision for a new building begins on a designer's screen, a blueprint of aspiration. Yet, between the gleaming renders and the day-to-day reality of a functioning structure, a critical gap often emerges. A building might look magnificent, but if it's costly to run, difficult to maintain, or doesn't support its occupants effectively, its long-term value rapidly erodes. 

This is where Pre-Development Facilities Management (FM) Consultancy steps in – not as an afterthought, but as the unseen architect of future efficiency, maintainability, and lasting value.

What is Pre-Development FM Consultancy?

Pre-Development FM Consultancy applies essential foresight to the built environment. 

This specialised consultancy focuses on integrating Facilities Management principles into a project before and during the construction phase. It's about embedding the DNA of optimal operation, maintenance, and management into a project's very foundation. Instead of viewing FM as a reactive necessity that kicks in once the building is complete, it becomes a core part of the project's strategic development, working proactively to: 

Enhance Future Performance: Ensure the built asset can be operated, maintained, and managed efficiently throughout its entire lifecycle. 

Protect and Increase Asset Value: A robust FM strategy safeguards the building's value and can even enhance it over time, making it a more attractive and sustainable investment. 

Achieve Strategic Goals: Align FM services with the client's wider organisational objectives, strategy, and core values, transforming the building into an enabler of success. 

FM Strategy Development: This isn't just about 'how to clean the floors.' It's a holistic blueprint for the building's operational life. It dictates everything from service delivery models, staffing requirements, and technology integration to energy management protocols and user experience strategies. It ensures that every operational decision aligns with the client's overarching business strategy (tenant satisfaction, achieving specific ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) targets, or optimising energy consumption). The strategy ensures the building is built to support its intended purpose and the people within it. 

Asset Management Planning: Think of every component in a building – from HVAC systems and elevators to roofing, lighting, and IT infrastructure – as an asset. Pre-Development FM creates a strategic roadmap for these assets, detailing their selection, installation, maintenance schedules, expected lifespans, and eventual replacement. This foresight prevents costly reactive repairs and ensures systems run optimally, protecting the long-term health and functionality of the building. It prioritises longevity and performance over short-term savings. 

Life Cycle Costing (LCC): The true cost of a building extends far beyond its initial construction. LCC rigorously analyses the total cost of ownership over its entire lifespan, factoring in everything from energy consumption and routine maintenance to major repairs, capital expenditure, and eventual decommissioning. By modelling these costs upfront, consultants can guide design decisions towards materials and systems that offer superior long-term value and lower operational expenditure, even if they have a slightly higher upfront capital cost. It's the critical difference between buying cheap today and paying dearly tomorrow, versus a calculated investment for sustained savings. 

Procurement Advice: Selecting the right partners, technologies, and materials is paramount. This service helps clients navigate the complex world of FM service providers, building management systems, and material suppliers. It ensures that agreements are robust, performance metrics are clear, and procurement aligns seamlessly with the developed FM strategy, securing best value and optimal service delivery from day one. 

The proactive engagement of Pre-Development FM Consultancy yields substantial, long-term benefits such as: Optimized Operational Efficiency, A building designed with its operational future in mind minimises waste. 

This translates into lower energy bills, streamlined maintenance tasks, reduced downtime, and a more comfortable, productive, and secure environment for occupants. 

Enhanced Asset Value and Market Appeal: A well-maintained, efficiently run, and strategically managed building is inherently more valuable. It commands higher rents, attracts premium tenants or users, and boasts a stronger market reputation. Conversely, operational nightmares and high running costs rapidly erode asset value. Pre-Development FM acts as a shield against depreciation and a catalyst for appreciation. 

Cost Control and Predictability: By understanding life cycle costs upfront and embedding efficiency, organisations gain far greater control over their operational budgets. This predictability helps in long-term financial planning and avoids the disruptive shock of unexpected major expenses. 

Sustainability and Compliance: Integrating FM considerations from the outset allows for the selection of eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient systems, and sustainable operational practices. This not only meets regulatory requirements but also supports corporate environmental goals and enhances an organisation's green credentials. 

Improved User Experience: Ultimately, buildings are for people. By considering the practicalities of a building's operation from the design stage, consultants ensure that it is not only functional but also contributes positively to the well-being, productivity, and satisfaction of its occupants. In an increasingly demanding and complex built environment, the foresight offered by Pre-Development FM Consultancy is no longer a luxury but a strategic imperative. It's about laying down foundations not just of concrete and steel, but of efficiency, sustainability, and enduring value. 

By integrating Facilities Management expertise at the earliest stages, projects transform from mere structures into meticulously crafted assets, prepared to thrive throughout their entire lifecycle, delivering maximum return on investment and unparalleled operational excellence.

Vertical Transportation Consultancy

Pre-Acquisition Surveys - Keystone FM Consultants empowers your property acquisition by providing critical advice and specialised reports. Our detailed pre-purchase surveys for new buildings or leaseholds are tailored to individual needs, uncovering future maintenance challenges and thereby significantly reducing the risk of unexpected and unbudgeted financial surprises.

Reports on Existing Installations - It's an inevitable reality that your critical equipment will, at some juncture, experience operational failure or, indeed, could be decommissioned by a prohibitive directive, perhaps from your insurer.

You might currently possess machinery that is vulnerable to breakdown or was not installed in accordance with current standards. To proactively mitigate the potential for costly reactive repairs or prevent unforeseen service interruptions, we offer a comprehensive technical assessment of your assets. This involves a thorough on-site inspection culminating in a detailed report, which will offer insights into the following key aspects:

• Contractor Efficacy: An evaluation of whether you are truly receiving commensurate value for your investment in maintenance services.
• System Reliability: An in-depth analysis of current operational consistency, addressing recurring issues and their root causes – essentially, deciphering why specific equipment frequently malfunctions.
• Compliance Audit: A rigorous comparison of your existing equipment against current industry regulations and performance benchmarks.
• Total Ownership Cost: A projection of the long-term financial implications associated with your assets.
• Modernisation Opportunities: Recommendations for potential upgrades or enhancements.
• Risk Identification: A clear articulation of inherent operational and safety vulnerabilities.
• Financial Forecasting: Precise cost estimations to support accurate budgetary planning.
• Asset Documentation: A formal report suitable for maintaining as a comprehensive asset register.
• Proposal Review: Expert commentary on bids and proposed works received from third-party contractors.

Our distinct advantage lies in our hands-on approach; unlike many consulting organisations that may offer superficial reviews, we physically access and investigate critical areas such as lift shafts, pits, traps, and motor rooms to acquire first-hand data, allowing us to provide unparalleled clarity.

Maintenance Management - For many years, progressive enterprises have recognised the inherent value of a preventative approach over a responsive one. Consequently, strategic, forward-looking asset management consistently delivers superior results, effectively sidestepping the significant financial exposure and unforeseen expenditures that frequently accompany a purely reactive management style.

The broader repercussions of equipment malfunctions are often either underestimated or entirely unconsidered. When machinery ceases to operate, it extends beyond mere operational delays and the potential for unfulfilled commitments. Such incidents actively diminish overall output, reduce operational effectiveness, negatively impact employee morale, and necessitate a considerable diversion of management's time and resources to address the ensuing complications.

This is precisely the area where our firm excels. We specialise in eradicating these risks and providing invaluable peace of mind. Our expert consultants meticulously oversee and actively administer your entire inventory of equipment, ensuring that systematic and impactful maintenance is executed efficiently. We diligently handle all LOLER compliance documentation and methodically streamline service and call-out records, thereby substantially mitigating the potential for unexpected equipment failures.

Modernisation - Embarking on the revitalisation of your current equipment necessitates a clear understanding of the principles underpinning such a commitment. It's vital to ensure that any upgrade not only resolves immediate operational challenges but also proactively anticipates and mitigates potential future complications.

At Keystone FM Consultants, leveraging the profound industry insight of our specialised service partners in the lift and escalator sector, we are uniquely positioned to address your concerns. We provide comprehensive, expert technical and commercial counsel, designed to align perfectly with your objectives for both the reliability of your machinery and your financial parameters.

Our service commitment includes a thorough evaluation of your equipment, followed by the presentation of actionable recommendations. We then proceed to develop precise specification documents, undertake detailed tender analysis, and provide full project management, all to guarantee adherence to current industry standards wherever practically achievable.