Advice on Unit Sizes

[XFS 70]

You guys who have units.

How many medium to large cars comfortably fit in around 2000ft square? would it fit 10? Rectangular. Door to the side rather than central.

Im looking at a unit around 2800ft. 800ft odd would be office/prep/maintenance, the rest as car storage. Room for around 4 inc customer parking outside, but as I am absolutely appointment only that means one customer car at a time.

thanks

[trade vet 697]

The first unit we had was 2000 sqft.You would get 10 in without any bother.Also depending where you are,no business rates.

[Mark101 536]

Mine is 1600 sq ft including 2 offices and toilet.  I can squeeze 10 in

Home page on my website has a video overlay (when viewed on pc or iPad but not on phone) should give you an idea.

www.imperial-marques.co.uk

[Row 71]

I get 12 in my 1500 sq ft unit.

[SC Derby 259]

We are 4,500 sq ft and can fit around 30-31 inside, maybe a couple more.

And room for 5-6 outside. Very lucky with this unit at £1150 a month with no rates, only downside is not perfect location, lovely village but we have no main road frontage.

[EPV 631]

I get 14 in my 2300sqft unit and I have a 200sqft office, toilet and storage set up. I’d say you’d get 18-20 cars in a 2800sqft set up 

[XFS 70]

Thanks guys.

I reckon 2000 odd of storage space is definitely enough. As TV said, if I can go small enough to avoid rates that would be great.

SC your situation sounds ideal to me. I don't want visible frontage, the opposite in fact.

I was offered a rural place around 3000ft for £800 per month no rates. It would have been great, but the commute was just to far. If I could find somewhere rural with 20 mins of the house that would be perfect...probably won't happen though...so it will be an industrial at around £5.00 per foot I reckon.

[Mark101 536]

10 minutes ago, SC Derby said:

We are 4,500 sq ft and can fit around 30-31 inside, maybe a couple more.

And room for 5-6 outside. Very lucky with this unit at £1150 a month with no rates, only downside is not perfect location, lovely village but we have no main road frontage.

That is a bargain.

My landlord has offered me the unit next door at £5 per sq.ft (5,000 sq.ft) but there is no rate relief, so more like £3k per month approx vs. my £1,000 inc VAT current set up.

I am lucky that until that unit is let, they are letting me have the outside space FOC, allowing an additional 10 units. When it is let, I shall have to rethink my strategy; I do have room for around 15 at home (at a push) but 35 min commute each way.

It is tucked away right at the back end of an estate and most people cannot find me without a prior call for directions, really annoying.

If I do go bigger and at £3k month, I want main road frontage in the hope of attracting the ad hoc casual sale.

[It's me 611]

check the lease before committing

take a million photos before signing

[SC Derby 259]

Yes a good/thorough schedule of condition is vital.

[It's me 611]

9 hours ago, trade vet said:

The first unit we had was 2000 sqft.You would get 10 in without any bother.Also depending where you are,no business rates.

austin a55's are not that big you know

[trade vet 697]

53 minutes ago, jason doyle motor sales said:

austin a55's are not that big you know

Hi Jason .....Cue A55 story........When I was 17 I used to moonlight with a mate doorstepping nothing else but A55’s.We bought them for £40 and sold them for £85 with a £2 lineage ad in the local rag.Except the punters never came to us. We used to qualify elderly punters from rural areas within 20 miles and we would offer to take the cars to them for viewing.This would impress them and it rarely failed.We would often do 2 a week but you could not charge more or the phone didn’t ring.We were earning more than a lot of first division footballers.

Its a shame you guys can’t do that.

[XFS 70]

27 minutes ago, trade vet said:

Hi Jason .....Cue A55 story........When I was 17 I used to moonlight with a mate doorstepping nothing else but A55’s.We bought them for £40 and sold them for £85 with a £2 lineage ad in the local rag.Except the punters never came to us. We used to qualify elderly punters from rural areas within 20 miles and we would offer to take the cars to them for viewing.This would impress them and it rarely failed.We would often do 2 a week but you could not charge more or the phone didn’t ring.We were earning more than a lot of first division footballers.

Its a shame you guys can’t do that.

Another A55 story. I lived in the country. When we were kids, the local garage would sell us MOT failures for scrap money. Maybe 3or 4 of us would club together and buy something and then run it to death on the farm roads. I remember acquiring an A55 pick up, the fuel tank was corroded and leaked petrol, so we had a Gerry can in the bed with a line through the cab into the carb. And it was winter and we couldn’t afford anti freeze.

In these old cars the block had frost plugs which blew out if the engine froze. I remember not being able to get the right size of frost plugs, to trying to make them fit with cataloy....which wasn’t a huge success to be honest!

We were in the 12 to 14 age group, I sometimes wonder how we survived.

[JDM1983 28]

Am I right in thinking any premises needs to be approved for motor trade use?

[Grantlfc81 88]

We have a main road forecourt with a very busy road, which fits 19-20. 9 inside the showroom 4 in the valeting bay / showroom when no valeting is required and another 20 round the back in the storage yard which we pay around £3300 per month.

[trade vet 697]

13 hours ago, trade vet said:

Hi Jason .....Cue A55 story........When I was 17 I used to moonlight with a mate doorstepping nothing else but A55’s.We bought them for £40 and sold them for £85 with a £2 lineage ad in the local rag.Except the punters never came to us. We used to qualify elderly punters from rural areas within 20 miles and we would offer to take the cars to them for viewing.This would impress them and it rarely failed.We would often do 2 a week but you could not charge more or the phone didn’t ring.We were earning more than a lot of first division footballers.

Its a shame you guys can’t do that.

Correction,fake news........it was A60’s we used to doorstep ?