Location: Valencia, Spain
Engagement Type: Strategic Advisory – Standard Report
Delivery Partner: Chris Johnston Group
Service Provided: Feasibility Report, Conceptual Strategy, Investment Insight
Client: Private Property Owner
Background
In 2024, the owner of a commercial property in Valencia’s prime business district held 22,000 sq ft of vacant floorspace across two upper floors. While the vacancy wasn’t creating any immediate financial pressure, it represented untapped commercial potential within a highly desirable location.
Despite listing the space through traditional commercial channels, the owner had not received any significant enquiries, and it appeared that standard agency activity hadn’t yet translated into proactive promotion or tenant traction for these particular floors. Seeking expert-led insight into what could realistically be achieved, the owner opted for a Standard Advisory Report from Chris Johnston Group.
Client Objectives
- Understand what could be done with the vacant floors
- Explore viable commercial or creative reuse strategies
- Gauge potential investment requirements without overcommitting
- Receive an expert-backed opinion on the best-use scenario
- Understand how rental income and long-term value could be improved
Our Role
Chris Johnston Group delivered a structured Standard Advisory Report, leveraging extensive expertise in adaptive reuse, serviced office modelling, and flexible workspace consultancy across the UK and European markets.
What the Client Received
The report delivered the following core components:
✅ Site Analysis & Property Review
- Full appraisal of the two vacant floors: access, configuration, light, layout, and technical capacity
- Strengths and limitations identified in relation to commercial repositioning
✅ Market Intelligence & Demand Positioning
- Research into current workspace and tenant demand trends in Valencia and comparable Spanish cities
- Examples of successful floorplate reuse in mixed-use, boutique, and flex office formats
- Identification of market gaps suitable for activation
✅ Use-Case Scenarios & Options Mapping
- Detailed proposals for multiple potential uses of the space
- Consideration of serviced offices, creative studios, short-term furnished workspace, and consultancy suites
- Benefits, risks, and key delivery requirements for each option
✅ Design & Fit-Out Advisory
- Design narrative recommendations tailored to the building’s style and local expectations
- Fit-out scope levels defined: basic, mid-level, and high-spec turnkey options
- Guidance on how interior strategy can influence rent levels, tenant mix, and leasing velocity
✅ Operational Strategy Outline
- Management structure options (self-managed, third-party operated, or joint venture models)
- Staffing considerations, service level guidance, and optional technology solutions
- Phasing strategy should the owner choose to activate one floor at a time
✅ Return Potential & Value Insight
- Commentary on potential uplift in rental income once repositioned
- Outline of how stabilised income could positively impact the capital value of the building
- Clarity on where value creation lies — not just in rent, but in long-term asset appreciation
✅ Expert Recommendation
- Chris Johnston Group delivered a tailored, experience-backed recommendation on the most commercially sound approach
- The advice factored in local dynamics, investor goals, and a risk-adjusted view of potential outcomes
Outcome
The owner received:
- Clarity and confidence around their options
- A structured, professional plan to refer back to at any time
- Insight into how to create additional income and value from underutilised space
- The flexibility to act when ready — with a roadmap already in hand
Why It Worked
✅Low-Commitment, High Clarity:
Delivered expert insights without requiring immediate investment
✅End-to-End Vision:
Covered everything from layout to management and long-term returns
✅Tailored Strategy:
Not generic — fully aligned to the building, market, and owner’s ambitions
✅Complementary to Agency Efforts:
Offered strategic repositioning guidance that can support and enhance future marketing effortsby commercial agents
About Chris Johnston Group
Chris Johnston Group brings over two decades of experience in transforming underused commercial spaces into high-performance profit centres. With advisory and operational projects across the UK and Europe, the Group supports landlords, investors — and commercial agents — at every stage of the journey, from concept to reality, or simply from question to clarity.
