Renting small commercial workshop. So expensive.

[flanajb]

I must be looking in the wrong place (Rightmove), but I am astounded at just how expensive commercial property rents are here in Dorset. For a small workshop you are looking at £8000 pa. Factor in business rates too and you need to have a pretty good turnover before you even start.

I was hoping I might be able to find a small workshop that I could use for 6 months whilst I get something off the ground and a client base built. Can't afford more than £350/month at the moment.

Others on here must have been in the same position at sometime or another. Curious as to how you approached the move from small garage to commercial workshop?

 

[Droogs]

Why not approach an existing commercial workshop and see if you can rent bench space or perhaps they may have a smaller side room that you can use for benchwork and come to an agreement re use of stationary kit

 

[mind_the_goat]

pm sent

 

[YorkshireMartin]

I must be looking in the wrong place (Rightmove), but I am astounded at just how expensive commercial property rents are here in Dorset. For a small workshop you are looking at £8000 pa. Factor in business rates too and you need to have a pretty good turnover before you even start.

I was hoping I might be able to find a small workshop that I could use for 6 months whilst I get something off the ground and a client base built. Can't afford more than £350/month at the moment.

Others on here must have been in the same position at sometime or another. Curious as to how you approached the move from small garage to commercial workshop?

I'm up north, but they are relatively expensive here too. I've been looking for a commercial space of 500sq ft or so. The closest I've come was 750sq ft for £400/mo plus other charges and business rates. Did anyone mention insurance too?

These commercial parks are springing up all over the place and it seems to be the same old story. Initially they are expensive but always 100% let and after the first 2 year lease period, they start to empty and the rates drop. On the plus side, there is a lot of choice.

I've decided to be patient and see if something comes up in one of the older business parks that perhaps doesn't have automatic doors, two parking spaces and an espresso machine in every unit. Hopefully this will bring the price down a bit.

Failing all of that, if I'm still faced with £400/mo, I'd rather I owned it, so I'd look into a commercial mortgage, a bit of brownfield land and a large pile of bricks.

 

[Matt@]

cheap places are about but you'll find them in free papers, gumtree, shop windows etc not agents. Not all will be rated and anyway there is rate relief at the moment. You should be able to get somewhere for approx £3 per sq ft and it'll be on a farm or a small owner occupied trading estate. £3 per sq ft means double garage size 16 x 20 = £80 a month if you are lucky. Be prepared for cement fibre roofs that condense in winter and single skin block walls that get damp. Find someone who rents out that wants long term tenants rather than a top rent. If you want something really nice then its proper units on trading estates. Another tip is put a wanted ad in the local paper and run it for 4 weeks.

 

[No skills]

Are there any shipping container based self storage places near you?

2 or 3 20' containers would be a cold but useful place to start if you can get a power supply to them. Easy to line out as well if things pick up. Might be worth a look (?).

 

[Mark Hancock]

I've always avoided small commercial parks because of the expense. Much better to find a private landlord with buildings to rent out. These are much cheaper and depending on the rateable value usually get small business rate relief. I won't give the figures here but I have a good size workshop around 600sq ft for substantially less than the amount mentioned in the OP.

 

[HOJ]

Gave up looking through commercial agents, kept coming back with aircraft hangers or garages at huge rents,
so, I went door knocking round the villages near to where I live, several options, all farm buildings, eventually settled
in to 1200sq ft, grade 2 listed, redundant barns, less than a mile from home, for a third of the numbers you are looking at, mind you it is a bit drafty at the moment, till i insulate the roof, but ideal, with 3 phase as well, which was also a problem.

 

[rafezetter]

I've seen a few adverts in the past that was little more than someone renting out their double garage, large shed at the bottom of their garden or whatnot. - A google - "workspace for rent" should turn up some possible solutions.

 

[fraxinus]

Are there any shipping container based self storage places near you?

2 or 3 20' containers would be a cold but useful place to start if you can get a power supply to them. Easy to line out as well if things pick up. Might be worth a look (?).

Quite a few of the container type storage sites don't allow any sort of workshop usage in their units. At least this was the case for the ones I looked at near me.

 

[flanajb]

I am going to take a drive around the local area and also put an advert in the local newspaper. As mentioned on here, all of the local agents just seem to deal with expensive commercial properties on commercial business parks.

 

[Matt@]

private owners would often be up for renting out but seldom advertise as they want the right tenant and like to fly under the radar so to speak ie tax etc. Often a case of persuading them that you are a good tenant with a low key activity and few visitors then you can start to see the £££ signs in their eyes as you are talking to them! An easy going tenant who always pays is easy money for these people. Often arranged on a hand shake as well...

PS re. shipping containers - dont bother with the old ones as they condense in winter and drip water onto everything...