Should I install air con in a commercial building we intend to rent

[bbabythai]

We are soon to be renting out a small building that we've been renovating. 

 

I raised this thread re installing old air con machines: 

 

Since then I've had an experienced air con tech guy come and quote the price to install hte old machines (after cleaning them). He said it would be 22k total to clean and install both of them which includes a small pump that will sit under each machine to pump the excess water UP through the pipe that would run inside the ceiling (above the gyprock) outside. He showed me a photo and it will look a bit ugly to be honest. He said the new machines have this functionality inside the machine and evidently the pump system is not needed. 

 

On the above thread one esteemed member suggested that he would not bother to install old or new air cons. Just rent it out unfurnished as such. If I were to do this I would just stick the air con wires through the new gyrpock plaster and have a service hole (man hole) near that area for a tech guy to do an installation. 

 

I seek opinions as to what do to because I realise that economic times are tough with the current china virus issue. 

 

If we dont install air con machines is it going to be harder to find a tenant. 

 

Another way to look at it is that if they do install them by themselves then maybe they are less likely to cancel the contract and move on knowing that they invested in the air con machines. Obviously they could take them out and depart with them but it is a bit of a hassle. 

 

FYI the rest of the ground floor area will be newly painted, new toilets, brand new look throughout. New lights, switches, doors, glass windows, cctv. It would just be the air con that they would have to arrange. I think that it is sensible to tell any prospective tenants that they would have to arrange the air cons and offer them the old machines if they want it OR they can put new ones in. 

 

Thanks for any opinions on this 

[Don Mega]

Either an old aircon or a new one add little value to you as the lanlord(from a rental price perspective),  it may however determine how long the building sits empty awaiting a tenant.

 

double edge sword I guess but if you drop 22k to install old and rent it aircond and it dies 6 months in you will have to fork the coin to repair or replace.

 

Rent with no aircon.... Tenant can take with when he leaves (repairing any damage to return the place to as rented condition) but you might have to lower your rental price expectations.

 

Installing a new aircon system may not attract a higher rental price but would be attractive to a prospect tenant, I would just install new rather than gamble 22k on an old system.

 

Me personally, I would not consider a rental with no aircon installed as I would not want to deal with the install/removal of it.... and then move it to another place or try to sell it used.

 

As for new versus old, my house here, I rented from 2014 to 2017, average elec bill was 5k a month.

 

move back to my home country for 18 months and returned July 2019 and as it happened this house was up for rent in august so i moved back in, landlord replace all air cons and now my average elec bill is 2k a month.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Don Mega

[Matzzon]

Simply has to do with how long time you plan to rent.

1-2 year: NO

 

Over 3: For me a yes

 

More than 5: YES!

When move you just move away from the aircon as well, and the landlord gets happy as well as you have been using it enough to accept the costs for buy and installation.

[bbabythai]

8 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Simply has to do with how long time you plan to rent.

1-2 year: NO

 

Over 3: For me a yes

 

More than 5: YES!

When move you just move away from the aircon as well, and the landlord gets happy as well as you have been using it enough to accept the costs for buy and installation.

You raised a valid point about how long we intend to rent it for. Answer is around 5 yrs. Then we intend to move into it ourselves for long time to run our business. 

 

Based on this info what does your No and yes mean above. I am not 100% sure I understand.

 

thanks

[Matzzon]

5 hours ago, bbabythai said:

You raised a valid point about how long we intend to rent it for. Answer is around 5 yrs. Then we intend to move into it ourselves for long time to run our business. 

 

Based on this info what does your No and yes mean above. I am not 100% sure I understand.

 

thanks

The plain answer is if you have a plan to rent for around 5 years, then all is payed. All good. Install what you want. You pay 30k for five year and then live there fore another 5? That would be about 40k divided into that. Sum of 667 baht per month. Noi (not no) problem, right?

 

[sometimewoodworker]

21 hours ago, bbabythai said:

Since then I've had an experienced air con tech guy come and quote the price to install hte old machines (after cleaning them). He said it would be 22k total to clean and install both of them which includes a small pump that will sit under each machine to pump the excess water UP through the pipe that would run inside the ceiling (above the gyprock) outside. He showed me a photo and it will look a bit ugly to be honest. He said the new machines have this functionality inside the machine and evidently the pump system is not needed. 

That price for cleaning and an install that is clearly not as it should be looks to be at least double the reasonable cost. 
 

you need to get at least another 2 independent quotes.
 

That would be the sort of pricing I would give if I didn’t really want the job so could either subcontract with a healthy profit or make enough to change my mind about doing the job.

[VocalNeal]

We rented a house with aircon. Condition of the rental is we in frorm owner if aircon needs cleaning. They send their guy, we pay for the cleaning. 

 

We rented a property for commercial use it had no aircon. We installed and took them with us when we left. As a landlord you don't need AC, the tenant does. 

 

Location will probably dictate the  attractiveness of the property unless there is a similar one next door! 

 

It is really a question of economics. 

[hotchilli]

22 hours ago, bbabythai said:

You raised a valid point about how long we intend to rent it for. Answer is around 5 yrs. Then we intend to move into it ourselves for long time to run our business. 

 

Based on this info what does your No and yes mean above. I am not 100% sure I understand.

 

thanks

I would fit new air-con, the system would work better and you have a guarantee for the appliance/s.

Considering you're going to move-in after 5 years they will still be working fine.

[4reaL]

Will you consult all business decisions with the ThaiVisa forum?

 

 

[bbabythai]

38 minutes ago, 4reaL said:

Will you consult all business decisions with the ThaiVisa forum?

 

 

I will just do whatever I want, whenever I want. I hope that this doesn't annoy you?

[samtab]

On 7/28/2020 at 12:11 PM, bbabythai said:

a small pump that will sit under each machine to pump the excess water

 

never seen that ? why do you need a pump ?

[ChouDoufu]

if it's your building and you want to install the old system, why the pump?

install as intended, which would mean drilling a service hole below the unit for the water to drain.  why run pipes in the ceiling carrying cold water?  won't that lead to condensation and water spots?

[bbabythai]

1 hour ago, ChouDoufu said:

if it's your building and you want to install the old system, why the pump?

install as intended, which would mean drilling a service hole below the unit for the water to drain.  why run pipes in the ceiling carrying cold water?  won't that lead to condensation and water spots?

Because it looks <deleted>. If a pump is used then all pipes can be hidden inside the ceiling. But then all that one can see is the ugly pump. 

 

With the new machines sold now they have the function in the actual unit itself and thus all pipes can run in the ceiling and no pump is required