Older / Functionally Obsolete

Sell an Older or Functionally Obsolete Facility

Modern logistics and manufacturing have moved on, and an older building can no longer keep up. Low clear height, tight column spacing, too little power, or not enough loading make a facility hard to lease and harder to sell on the open market. We buy older and functionally obsolete industrial property directly, in the condition it is in, so you are not stuck holding a building the market has passed by.

Off-Market & Confidential
A Direct Principal Buyer
No Listing Commissions
Any Condition or Situation

The Situation

When the Building No Longer Fits

Functional obsolescence is not about a building being run down. A well-kept facility can still be obsolete if its bones no longer suit how goods are moved, stored, or made today. Tenants and buyers screen for clear height, loading, power, and column spacing, and a building that misses on those points sits on the market while newer product leases first.

  • Low clear height, tight columns

    Older buildings were built for older racking and equipment. Low clear height and close column spacing rule the space out for modern distribution and many manufacturing uses.

  • Not enough loading

    Too few dock doors, no grade-level access, shallow truck courts, or a small trailer apron make a building impractical for today's logistics tenants.

  • Dated power and systems

    Insufficient electrical service, aged mechanical and HVAC, older sprinkler design, and legacy fit-out limit the tenants who can use the space without a costly upgrade.

  • Hard to lease, hard to sell

    A facility that misses the modern spec can sit vacant, attract only deeply discounted interest, or need capital you would rather not put into a building you want out of.

A Direct, Off-Market Sale

We See the Site, Not Just the Shortfall

An obsolete building is a repositioning problem, and repositioning is what a principal buyer is set up to take on. Selling to us directly means you are not marketing a building that fails the modern checklist to a market that is screening for exactly the specs it lacks. We see the potential in the site, not just the shortfall in the structure.

  • Any condition, any spec

    Low clear height, dated power, tight columns, deferred maintenance, an obsolete layout. We underwrite the building as it is instead of asking you to modernise it first.

  • A direct principal buyer

    You deal with the party that holds the capital and takes on the repositioning, not a broker running a process for a building the market keeps passing over.

  • Off-market and confidential

    No listing, no sign, no marketing that reaches your tenants, staff, or competitors while you decide what to do with the asset.

  • Certainty and speed

    We control our own capital, so there is no financing condition. We close on a timeline that suits you once we have reviewed the building.

  • No listing commissions or broker fees

    A marketed sale carries brokerage commissions and a marketing process. A direct sale to us does not.

  • Flexible deal structures

    A straight purchase, a longer possession to let you relocate or wind down operations, or another structure that fits your plan for the site.

Ontario & Alberta

Zoning, Land, and Underlying Value

An obsolete building sits on land that usually still has value for industrial use, and the zoning framework in each province shapes what a buyer can do with it. Often the real opportunity is in repositioning or redeveloping the site, and that is read differently in Ontario than in Alberta.

Ontario

In Ontario, older industrial buildings usually sit on employment lands, zoned in an employment-area or M category under the local official plan and the Planning Act. Those designations protect the land for industrial and employment uses, which is what gives an obsolete building its underlying value: the structure may be tired, but the land is entitled for the very uses in demand. MPAC assesses the property in the industrial or commercial class. A buyer set up to reposition or redevelop reads that potential where a tenant only sees the missing spec.

Alberta

In Alberta, the same building sits in a municipal industrial zoning district, commonly an IB, IM, or IH category, with title held in the Alberta Land Titles system. The zoning framework governs what uses and forms of redevelopment are permitted, and the land itself often carries the value even when the building has aged out of the modern market. A direct sale hands the repositioning question to a buyer equipped to take it on and transfers title cleanly through Land Titles.

References: Planning Act (Ontario), MPAC, Alberta Land Titles.

Nothing on this page is legal, planning, or valuation advice. Zoning categories and permitted uses vary by municipality and change over time. Confirm the specifics for your property with the municipality and your own advisers.

How It Works

A Direct Sale in Three Steps

  1. 1

    Tell us about the property

    Send the address, the building size and age, the key specs such as clear height, power, and loading, and how the property is used or leased today. No listing, no obligation.

  2. 2

    We review and make an offer

    We assess the building and the site as a principal buyer, weigh the repositioning potential, and come back with a clear offer. There is no financing condition on our side.

  3. 3

    Close on your timeline

    We complete our diligence, agree the structure and possession, and close through a lawyer on a schedule that works for you.

Common Questions

Older & Obsolete Facilities FAQ

Do you buy buildings with low clear height or an outdated layout?

Yes. Low clear height, tight column spacing, and a dated layout are typical of the buildings we buy. We are a principal buyer and we take on the repositioning, so a spec that a modern tenant screens out is not a barrier for us.

What if the power, HVAC, or sprinkler systems are dated?

That is fine. Dated electrical service, older mechanical and HVAC, and legacy sprinkler design are all things we factor into how we underwrite the building. You do not need to upgrade the systems before selling.

Is the building worth more as a redevelopment site?

Sometimes the highest use is the land rather than the existing structure, particularly where the site is well located and the zoning supports it. We look at both the building and the site when we make an offer, so you get the benefit of whichever reflects the property's real value.

Do you buy older manufacturing plants and special-purpose buildings?

Yes. Older manufacturing and processing plants and special-purpose facilities are within what we buy. These are exactly the buildings that are hardest to move through a conventional process, and taking on that difficulty is part of what we do.

Do I need to fix deferred maintenance first?

No. Deferred maintenance, an ageing roof or envelope, and worn fit-out are underwritten as part of the offer. We buy the building as it stands rather than asking you to put capital into a property you want to exit.

Related Situations

Other Situations We Handle

Get an Offer

Exit the building the market has passed by.

Tell us about the property and we will review it as a principal buyer, weigh the repositioning potential, and come back with a clear, off-market offer. No listing, no broker fees, no obligation.

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