If you’re looking to lease or purchase industrial property here in Reno, Nevada, there are a few things to consider out the gate. Often times people condense the entire picture into a single focus – the cost per square foot. This approach overlooks many factors, and one of the most applicable in 2020 is the technology that can be found in warehouses today. These are the upgrades and technology that allows for logistical efficiency and supreme flexibility, two factors that can be game changers for your business.

Upgrades, Upgrades, Upgrades

There are features that are standard in today’s warehouses, and then there are upgrades. These may include but are not limited to:

• A healthy number of oversized truck docks
• Oversized trailer and chassis storage courts
• Crossdocking
• Eave heights soaring up to 40’
• The highest available internet bandwidth
• The highest fire sprinkler suppression ratings

In an effort to stay competitive, developers today are routinely including these upgrades in new builds. And it makes sense. The death blow to a warehouse can be its chances of becoming obsolete just a few short years after it’s built. Ask about the standard features but also inquire about upgraded features that make a property far more flexible.

Don’t Overlook LEED Certification

Considered the ultimate upgrade. Today, developers are reaching LEED silver status certification almost routinely, with Gold certification the occasional bonus. Yes, there are faults to LEED certification, but it also can’t be denied that it has helped produce some of the most energy efficient buildings made available for public use.

And yet.

It’s rare that a client makes a point of asking about available upgrades or about LEED certification, or even about the age of the warehouse. Along with lease terms and cost, these are some of the most important questions that a potential buyer or tenant could ask.

People tend to think in the today and the ‘here and now” rather than in the future. You may not need an abundance of dock doors today, but you might possibly need them in the future. Even if your business doesn’t need this feature, is there a chance that it will become an incentive for the next user that is considering buying your building?

There is no debate that LEED certification brings a large tax savings, but also lower operating expenses to the tenant, which lowers price paid per square foot. Many upgrades in today’s warehouses – new lighting technologies with motion sensors, high-efficiency heating systems, improved insulation also provide notably lower operating costs to the user.

The Takeaway

When you are searching for your next warehouse, don’t tie everything to the cost per square foot. Ask specifically about upgrades in the top Class A spaces with their flexibility and LEED statuses.