How can you generate new income for your building in 2026?
A building owner has to face numerous charges relating to the conservation, maintenance and administration of the common areas of his building. Management fees, the cost of holding general meetings, co-ownership insurance, lighting of the common areas, cleaning of the building, maintenance of green spaces, repair of the structural work, and the custodian's salary are all charges that generate a significant cost that is sometimes difficult to anticipate.
What are some possible solutions for generating new income for your building?
Under these circumstances, it is understandable that owners are seeking every possible means to curb the explosion in costs. They often opt for the simplest solution: reducing expenditure, unfortunately to the detriment of the building's upkeep. However, there is a way to offset these expenses that is much more beneficial for the property: ensuring that it generates new fixed income.
The possibilities are diverse but the preferred way to make money in real estate remains renting. It comes in several forms and affects several branches of real estate.
The best known is apartment rental, which provides a regular income. This income can be higher when you rent out a furnished apartment. Parking space rental is the least expensive option, especially in large cities where many people have difficulty parking their cars. Office rental is also a solution. Offices are most often rented to individuals or professionals. This could be a doctor who wants to set up a practice, an accountant, or a lawyer. It may also be of interest to young entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses and want to share premises at a lower cost, as in the case of coworking. Or an entrepreneur who wants to set up their start-up there. Attracting people who are traveling or moving, renting out basements or storage spaces is a new solution. You can make space you don't use available to those who need room to store belongings or bulky equipment in exchange for monthly rent.
In search of innovative solutions
However, owners are always looking for more innovative ways to recoup these costs; they see every square meter of the building as a rental opportunity, and have done so since the dawn of urbanization. Take, for example, the owners of buildings in New York, who have been installing advertising billboards on the facades of their properties since the 19th century. Over time, certain places have made these signs part of their identity and reputation. Times Square is one example, but the harbor in Geneva is another, with its illuminated signs on building roofs.
As soon as neon tubes appeared in the mid-1930s, Geneva began decorating its rooftops with illuminated advertisements, and these iconic signs above the harbor have since become an integral part of Geneva's image. Now, thanks to LED technology, illuminated advertising signs have become a very popular solution. Prestigious and elegant, the illuminated advertising that lights up Geneva's harbor on Lake Geneva is a real signature. For a brand, accessing the best locations allows it to enter the exclusive circle of renowned brands and benefit from exceptional visibility.
The advantages of installing an illuminated sign on the roof of a building
Thus, the installation of an illuminated sign on the roof of a building will make it possible to optimise its rental condition, to make a contribution to the building's renovation fund and to enhance the property's brand image. Indeed, the fact that a major watch and jewellery brand or a private bank wishes to associate its image with a building gives it a luxurious and desirable image that automatically increases its value. Advertising attracts attention to the property, which then gains visibility.
In the case of a planned sale of a building with a roof occupied by a sign, the purchaser may record in the sales memorandum the valuation of these rental spaces, which will be taken into account for the final value of the building since the beginning of the rental of the roof.
Are you interested in a feasibility study for your building?Agence MP Berthoud a personalized audit for you and support you throughout the authorization process.
Contact : M.P Berthoud Agency
Rue Jacques-Dalphin -1227 Carouge/Geneva
+41 22 735 93 07
