Demand for Refurbishment, Repair and Maintenance

The demand for modernisation, rehabilitation and refurbishment of buildings and works is dependent on factors similar to those relevant for the equivalent type of product of a new build. Aikivuori (1996) describes refurbishment as being an option at the end of the service life of a building and this occurs when the building fails to perform as required in use. She identifies three causes for this failure: deterioration in the building, changes in the requirements of performance of the building (obsolescence) and change in use. Maintenance is described by Wall (1993) as encompassing ‘that ongoing process dealing with maintenance or restoring to good condition any part of a building that becomes defective or nonfunctioning to an acceptable standard to sustain the utility and life of a building (Building Maintenance Committee, 1972; Dixon, 1990; Mole (1991)’.