The working approach
What to expect when you get in touch
We keep the process plain. You describe the site, the format or the commercial question; we check what is realistic against the property and the market; then we agree in writing what is being handled, by whom, and on what timescale. Nothing is committed on your behalf before that scope is agreed.
Ashbourne Commercial Limited works across specialized retail and commercial activities in the UK. Some enquiries are a single instruction — a lease point, a unit review, a landlord question. Others run over months as a portfolio is worked through. The steps below describe both.
One point of contact
You deal with the same person from the first message to the agreed scope.
Written scope before work starts
Deliverables, exclusions and timing are set out in plain terms first.
Updates at agreed intervals
Progress is reported on the schedule we set together, not on request.
A clean handover
At the close, you receive the material produced and a note of anything left open.
Before anything is agreed
The enquiry starts with what you already know
You do not need a prepared brief. Most first messages are short: an address, a unit size, a lease date, or a question about whether a particular retail format suits a particular pitch. That is enough to start.
From first message to agreed scope
Five stages, worked in order. Each one ends with something concrete you can read and keep, and any stage can stop the process if the property or the terms do not hold up.
You send the enquiry
Email, phone or the contact page. Tell us the address, the type of unit or space, and what you are trying to resolve. If you have a lease, a set of service charge figures or a plan, attach them — but the first message does not need to be complete.
A short conversation about the property
We ask the questions that decide whether the instruction is worth pursuing: who holds the freehold, what the current use class is, whether there are restrictions, and what timescale you are working to. This call is usually 20 to 30 minutes and costs nothing.
We put the scope in writing
A short document covering what we will handle, what sits outside the instruction, who does what, and when each part is expected to land. If a surveyor, solicitor or managing agent needs to be involved, that is named here rather than discovered later.
The work runs against that scope
You get updates at the intervals we agreed, in the form we agreed — a written note, a call, or a set of figures. If something changes materially, you hear about it when it happens rather than at the end. If the instruction needs to change, we reissue the scope rather than stretching the original one.
Close-out and handover
When the instruction ends, you receive the material produced and a short note of anything left open, with the reasoning. If the next step needs a different specialist, that recommendation is made in plain terms.
What we ask from you at each stage
The process moves faster when the right documents are on the table early. This is the short list we come back to most often — none of it is a condition of the first conversation.
At enquiry
- The property address and postcode
- The type of unit, floor area and current use
- What you want the outcome to be
At scope discussion
- The lease or tenancy agreement, if there is one
- Service charge and business rates figures
- Any plans, surveys or condition reports you hold
During the work
- A named person who can approve decisions
- Access arrangements for any site visit
- Prompt notice if your position changes
At close-out
- Confirmation of the outcome you accepted
- Any third-party documents still in progress
- Whether you want the file kept open for later
How we handle retail and commercial instructions
Retail and commercial instructions do not move at the same speed. A high-street unit with a lease break needs different handling from a solus warehouse with a long unexpired term, and both need a different rhythm from a portfolio review that runs across several sites. The scope you agree at stage three sets which of those rhythms applies.
Where an instruction touches planning, licensing or a managing agent's consent, we say so at the scope stage rather than partway through. That is the single most common reason a commercial engagement in the UK slips, and it is avoidable with an honest conversation early.
The two things that matter most
Scope in writing, and a named person
Every stage above is built around those two commitments. If a scope is not in writing, it is not agreed. If no one is named as your contact, you cannot tell who is responsible for the next step. Both are simple to hold to and both make the difference between an instruction that moves and one that drifts.
Where we are, and how to reach us
If the process above reads the way you would want it to, the next step is a short message. There is no form to fill in on this page — the contact page carries the details, and you can also call or email directly during working hours.
Our registered office sits in Caversham, Reading. Site visits are arranged in advance and confirmed by email before we travel.
Questions we are asked before the first instruction
Four answers that come up most often. If yours is not here, the FAQ page covers more ground, and you are welcome to ask directly.
Does the first conversation commit me to anything?
No. The enquiry and the scope discussion are free, and no work begins until you have read the written scope and confirmed it. You can stop at any stage without an obligation to continue.
What if I only have part of the paperwork?
Send what you have. Missing documents are listed in the scope so you know what to chase and in what order. Where a document is genuinely needed before a decision can be made, we say so rather than starting and stalling.
Can the scope change once work has started?
Yes, and it is reissued in writing when it does. A change of instruction, a new timescale or a different outcome all warrant a fresh scope rather than an adjustment made verbally. It keeps the record clean on both sides.
Do you work outside Reading and the South East?
Yes. The registered office is in Caversham, Reading, but instructions are taken across the UK. Travel and site attendance are agreed at the scope stage so there are no surprises on either side.