Retail beneath new homes: test the future catchment

Retail beneath a future residential community depends on more than the number of planned homes. A purchaser needs to understand how the intended business would reach and serve customers.

Investigate the catchment

Separate proposed residents from occupied homes and consider access from surrounding areas. Inspect the planned frontage, pedestrian routes and competing retail. Ask which assumptions about completion and occupation support the projected rent.

Review the unit specification

Check power, services, loading and the physical needs of a likely occupier. Identify details that are contractual rather than illustrative. A payment plan cannot establish that the eventual space will support a sustainable tenant business.