The Complete Guide to Maintaining, Refurbishing & Selling Modular Buildings

With decades of experience and knowledge on modular buildings, we’re often asked the same question: ‘How long does a modular building last?’.

The short answer is that modular buildings are extremely durable, and their lifespan can reach over 30 years, making them long-lasting, high-value assets. However, their longevity depends on several factors, including:

• Materials and construction
• Foundation and installation
• Weather exposure
• Usage (low or high intensity)
• Maintenance and repairs
  

As more of the world moves closer towards a circular economy, the market has expanded by 43% annually since 2020. Therefore, there’s a growing demand for refurbished modular buildings, and this has created a strong, growing market for reselling them.

Used modular buildings can hold their value exceptionally well if they have been maintained or refurbished correctly. In this guide, our experts will help modular building owners to protect that value, reduce downtime, and make smart refurbishment or resale decisions.

Monthly / Quarterly Checks

• Check Door & Window Seals: Draughts or leaks not only make for an uncomfortable experience, but they also deteriorate the quality of the building.
• Inspect HVAC Systems: Ensuring your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are fully functioning is crucial to maintaining a habitable environment.
• Test Electrics: This isn’t just to make sure your electrics are operational; it’s for the safety and integrity of your building to prevent a potential hazard.

Annual Checks

• External Cladding Inspection: This isn’t just for aesthetics; it helps your building stay insulated and protected from the weather.
• Roof Panel Integrity: A neglected roof can cause leaks, and this can lead to damp, mould, and condensation, which poses a risk to you and future buyers.
• Guttering & Drainage: Again, water can cause a lot of problems, so making sure seemingly insignificant parts of your modular building are well-kept is important.
• Internal Structures: Especially with age, structures such as the floor and load-bearing walls need to be checked to ensure they’re still up to standard and safe.
• Safety System: The safety of those using the modular building is crucial, so emergency lighting and alarm systems must be functioning properly.

Long-Term Preventative Work (every 5–10 years)

• Repainting & Recoating Exterior: This will help to prevent rust and corrosion from bad weather conditions.
• Resealing Joints: Leaks and draughts can seriously affect the quality of your modular building, so this is an essential component to consider.
• Upgrading Insulation: With the weather seemingly getting colder and worse each year, upgrading your insulation ensures comfort and durability.
• Electrical Rewiring: This will depend on the building’s usage and whether the electrics have been well-maintained over the years.

As your building ages, it may be that:

• The internal layout needs updating to accommodate a different use or function
• General wear and tear can’t be fixed with maintenance
• The electrics or HVAC system is outdated and needs to be replaced
• The aesthetic is old or no longer fits the brand image
• Building and safety regulations have changed, and your building doesn’t comply
• There’s a desire or need to meet environmental and sustainability goals

Types of Refurbishment Work We Offer

Our hassle-free refurbishment process is quick and effective; we conduct an initial on-site assessment of your existing building to review the potential, and then a bespoke plan is made with your goals and budget in mind.

Your building is then transported to our factory, where we’ll begin the transformation. Afterwards, your improved modular building is returned and reinstalled, ready for immediate use.

So, no matter the reason, Portable Building Sales can offer several options to refurbish your modular building to best suit your evolving needs, including:

• Internal reconfiguration, such as new partitions or open-plan changes
• New cladding or colour schemes
• Window and door upgrades

Reusing and selling unwanted modular buildings drastically cuts carbon emissions and ensures organisations that need them most, such as schools, charities, and growing businesses, can access them.

That’s why we offer nationwide removal and deliveries; a complete end-to-end solution which includes a free site visit and inspection, and a no-obligation fixed-price purchase offer.

So, even if a refurbishment isn’t right for you, when you sell to us, you can rest easy knowing you’re participating in a sustainable circular economy.

Get in Touch to Find Out More

We hope you found this guide informative and feel confident in caring for and maintaining your modular building.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about our refurbishment and sale services for modular buildings.