Car storage with easy access

[TheAngryDog]

Watching various video's by DannyDC2 has got me wondering - how do you find out about these types of places where you can store your car and have easy access to it when you want to take it out? I've been put off buying a car because I'd want to garage it when not in use (mostly winter, over night - the car would only be a weekend car), but no garage means I haven't bought one.

Does anyone else use this type of facility? How did you find out about it? Google searches just return the usual classic storage, rather than what I am after.

Thanks.

[Alex_225]

I use a place fairly local to me to store two cars.

I keep mine in there long term so they don't move much but if you want access, you can give them notice. Also they have long term storage and different places for short term access or weekend access. So my cars are tucked in a corner but in the middle of the place they have cars that move more frequently.

Most places will let you access your vehicle but with a bit of notice, 24/48 hours.

[adamInca]

I think most places operate on a storage basis rather than a garage where you can just drop in and driive away with no notice. Understandably as they tend to stack cars and need notice to get a particular one out and also from a security and insurance aspect.
The one I use needs a few day's notice.

[Alex_225]

adamInca said:

I think most places operate on a storage basis rather than a garage where you can just drop in and driive away with no notice. Understandably as they tend to stack cars and need notice to get a particular one out and also from a security and insurance aspect.
The one I use needs a few day's notice.

That's my experience too. They rotate cars if they're ones that come and go. It's not like Big Yellow Storage where you just come and go with a key to a specific space.

[Chubbyross]

Living in London I’ve never left my weekend cars on the road. I rent two spaces in an underground car park attached to a secure gated community. It’s ideal. I can come and go as I please and work on the cars in peace if I want to polish them or do bits and pieces during the winter. I think this would suit you better. As has been mentioned, the more upmarket ones require notice if you want to take your car out, which has always struck me as a monumental faff.

If you live in or near a town have a look for parking spaces to rent. You might find something better suited.

[Fady]

No answers to one of OPs original questions as to how to set about locating storage other than what standard searches bring up?

[Decky_Q]

Over the years I've put quite a few cars away over winter, nearly always the best option was a non specialist, nearly always on local farms.

For my track car I used a local equestrian centre, just rocked up and asked if they had somewhere available under cover that I could access and did a deal on putting it in an unused stable.

My classic is stored in a garage on a farm, I asked about outbuildings etc and they offered their garage at the family house as it was massive and only had 4 cars in it, so very secure if you dont know the codes, and all parked so I can get it out if I want to.


Basically my point is, that the best option, if you need unannounced access is going to be unique to you. Think of friends, colleagues, or local businesses that have the space and nearly everyone will enjoy a small fee. I put a secured cover over the cars aswell, stops roosting birds or dust being a problem in a working area.

[Riley Blue]

I rent a lock up garage with 24/7 access from my local council for £40 a month..

[bqf]

The perennial problem! For finding storage, your options are:

1. Rent a council garage
2. Rent a 'storage unit' or lock-up - sometimes these come up with local estate agents (usually those specialising in equestrian/farms etc) - Can be terribly expensive, depending on where you live
3. Farms, stables, anywhere with land, buildings - best bet here is to ask! Also, local mechanics are a good source of knowledge
4. The 'upmarket' storage companies, which in my experience are massively inflexible, and run by awful people

I have done all of these, and 3 has always been the best and cheapest.

[sixor8]

Insurance can be an issue though. I recently was offered the chance to garage my motorbikes for the winter in a garage 2 miles away. Insurance company attitude was 'computer says no.' The policy I had wouldn't allow it, the only option was to cancel (along with the cancellation charges) and take out a new policy with a company that does permit it.

I decided to invest in a couple of decent covers instead. Cars are generally OK parked outside IME, they're designed for it, unless they're very old and / or leak of course.... Long term storage in an area that has high humidity or is damp is actually not the bonus you'd think.

[ChevronB19]

Fady said:

No answers to one of OPs original questions as to how to set about locating storage other than what standard searches bring up?

My answer would be to join your local car club (a proper one, not online and not marque specific). A lot of members are famers with a spare barn etc.

We (dad and I) have 6 cars spread across 3 barns, and there’s always someone with a spare space in even a single garage for a few quid a month (in our case £20 per car for 4 of them, free for 2 of them).

[Spleen]

TheAngryDog said:

Watching various video's by DannyDC2 has got me wondering - how do you find out about these types of places where you can store your car and have easy access to it when you want to take it out? I've been put off buying a car because I'd want to garage it when not in use (mostly winter, over night - the car would only be a weekend car), but no garage means I haven't bought one.

Does anyone else use this type of facility? How did you find out about it? Google searches just return the usual classic storage, rather than what I am after.

Thanks.

I did nothing more than simply google 'car storage' and found what I was looking for fairly easily. I may have stuck in 'long/short term' at some point but can't really remember. Honestly, I didn't find it difficult or challenging to find somewhere.

Edited by Spleen on Friday 7th October 18:27

[Alex_225]

Riley Blue said:

I rent a lock up garage with 24/7 access from my local council for £40 a month..

That's an absolute steal. I looked at garages round my way, applied for one years ago and not only did I hear nothing, they were £140 a month. Also a foot too short to fit my car in! haha

That is a good shout though, if you can get one and it fits.

[MDMA .]

My mate rents an industrial unit just to work on his cars. Pays £500 a month but he has space for storage, a ramp, works on other peoples cars and more than covers his rent. It’s not his full time job so his space works out free.

[Riley Blue]

Alex_225 said:

Riley Blue said:

I rent a lock up garage with 24/7 access from my local council for £40 a month..

That's an absolute steal. I looked at garages round my way, applied for one years ago and not only did I hear nothing, they were £140 a month. Also a foot too short to fit my car in! haha

That is a good shout though, if you can get one and it fits.

It started out at £28 a month but has crept up over the years. If you're a council tenant (which I'm not) it's 20% cheaper. The council even fitted a new up-and-over door to it after I reported a break in attempt, re-surfaced the compound it's in, installed external lighting and replaced the lock on the barrier after it had been vandalised; all f.o.c.

[Alorotom]

Riley Blue said:

I rent a lock up garage with 24/7 access from my local council for £40 a month..

Same here. £34/mth for one and £38/mth for my second … the cheaper one doesn’t have power but the latter does.

[Alex_225]

Damn, those are really good prices for those council garages.

We're possibly moving next year so might check with the next borough haha

[keeling54]

Try local farms, we secured a lock up a few years ago when we imported split screen VW's, I kept it on after we closed the business, enough space for 4 cars, 24 hour access, dry and insulated so no damp, the farmer is a great bloke and keeps an eye on it for us. £240 a month.

[RenPug]

Riley Blue said:

Alex_225 said:

Riley Blue said:

I rent a lock up garage with 24/7 access from my local council for £40 a month..

That's an absolute steal. I looked at garages round my way, applied for one years ago and not only did I hear nothing, they were £140 a month. Also a foot too short to fit my car in! haha

That is a good shout though, if you can get one and it fits.

It started out at £28 a month but has crept up over the years. If you're a council tenant (which I'm not) it's 20% cheaper. The council even fitted a new up-and-over door to it after I reported a break in attempt, re-surfaced the compound it's in, installed external lighting and replaced the lock on the barrier after it had been vandalised; all f.o.c.

I had one for that price from them too, unfortunately doesn't sound as good as yours. Was in the block of flats opposite Staveley Morrisons, moved on as the tenants in the flats kept changing and I was getting concerned with some of the types of people who could see in while I was working on the car. Plus I never dared leave any tools etc in there and when I had to do an engine swap it was a pain to try and take all the tools with me I thought I would need. Could guarantee to forget something meaning I had to pack it all away while I went back to get the additional tools and come back again.

Now in a car storage place near Dronfield, significantly more expensive at £150 a month but no worries about the car now. Access is 8am to 10pm so suits my needs 99% of the time, you can get access after that for occasional use just requiring a text to the land owner as he lives on site and just makes him aware somebody is coming and he doesn't have to go check it out.

[Hippea]

I store mine in a local farmers grain barn, £35 a month per car. It’s nothing glamorous but dry and secure. Similar to DannyDC2s but I’m not allowed to work on cars, just storage.

I think most things like this are word of mouth as they are less formal than normal car storage places.