Car storage barn conundrum

[Ray Singh]

I have managed to find a barn which a farmer is happy to rent to me. Its 10.66m x 18.29m with a 5m door in the middle of the 10.66m length.

I am keen to start a car storage business and wondered how many cars i could fit into this space, without blocking any one single car in.

Does anyone know how to best calculate this as I am certain that parking the cars at 45 degree angles would allow for access and most cars into the space.

Any help appreciated.

[sospan]

Other questions to think about......
Security.
Storage environment ( damp etc).

[aeropilot]

Using a standard parking bay size of 2.4m x 4.8m, and without wanting to block any other car in, I reckon the most you'll get in is 8, 5 down one side at 45deg-ish, plus 3 along the opposite side, parallel to the long side of the barn.

[Ray Singh]

aeropilot said:

Using a standard parking bay size of 2.4m x 4.8m, and without wanting to block any other car in, I reckon the most you'll get in is 8, 5 down one side at 45deg-ish, plus 3 along the opposite side, parallel to the long side of the barn.

Thanks - just what I was looking for. I now have something to start my numbers with.

[P. ONeill]

Total minefield. Have you considered everything and will it be viable? Does the owner know your plans or does he think it just for your own use? I have more than enough space to do it and I wouldn’t dream of it. Security, access, people with sticky fingers. I’m ooooout.

[aeropilot]

sospan said:

Other questions to think about......
Security.
Storage environment ( damp etc).

Plus.....
Site access, 24hr or office hours?
Power supply, as many people will want them hooked up to an optimate while stored, so they are ready to get in and go.

[Welshbeef]

Ray Singh said:

I have managed to find a barn which a farmer is happy to rent to me. Its 10.66m x 18.29m with a 5m door in the middle of the 10.66m length.

I am keen to start a car storage business and wondered how many cars i could fit into this space, without blocking any one single car in.

Does anyone know how to best calculate this as I am certain that parking the cars at 45 degree angles would allow for access and most cars into the space.

Any help appreciated.

Also remember sadly 2manycars had a fire which destroyed so many cars.

[aeropilot]

Welshbeef said:

Ray Singh said:

I have managed to find a barn which a farmer is happy to rent to me. Its 10.66m x 18.29m with a 5m door in the middle of the 10.66m length.

I am keen to start a car storage business and wondered how many cars i could fit into this space, without blocking any one single car in.

Does anyone know how to best calculate this as I am certain that parking the cars at 45 degree angles would allow for access and most cars into the space.

Any help appreciated.

Also remember sadly 2manycars had a fire which destroyed so many cars.

Quite.

[jonsp]

Ray Singh said:

how many cars i could fit into this space, without blocking any one single car in.

Wouldn't it make more sense to get the maximum cars in - at the expense of blocking cars in and having to move cars around when you need to get a blocked car out?

Assuming car storage is fairly long term the time it takes to shift cars around when needed would be significantly less than the extra revenue you'd make from getting the maximum cars in.

Edited by jonsp on Monday 6th June 11:44

[48k]

Ray Singh said:

I have managed to find a barn which a farmer is happy to rent to me. Its 10.66m x 18.29m with a 5m door in the middle of the 10.66m length.

I am keen to start a car storage business and wondered how many cars i could fit into this space, without blocking any one single car in.

Does anyone know how to best calculate this as I am certain that parking the cars at 45 degree angles would allow for access and most cars into the space.

Any help appreciated.

I looked in to doing this about 6 years ago. I looked at starting as simply as possible with me doing everything (ie. no staff) so marketing, running the accounts, dealing with customers, collecting/delivery cars, checking the cars in storage / rotating the tyres / etc. I concluded even with no staff it wasn't financially viable if I had to rent the space to store the cars in. The potential competitors I looked at which operated in this space ( Hamiltons Car Storage, Tigastor, Buckingham Car Storage, Windrush, Autovault.) looked like they already owned the freehold and/or had easy access to a storage facility as part of something else they did.

When I was doing the fag packet maths to look at viability I brain-dumped the costs:

Monthly fixed overheads
--
Rent
Service charge
Business rates
Utilities (Gas, Leccy, Water, Phone, Internet)
Insurance
Security/fire monitoring, cctv
Vermin protection (mouse traps etc)

Startup costs
--
Premises Deposit
Conveyancing/legal costs
Decor/renovations/setup/signage
Website design and set up
Equipment (eg. tools, battery conditioners, dolleys, compressor/pump, Car-Coons etc)

Variable monthly costs
--
Stationery
Furniture and IT equipment
Office supplies
Advertising
Marketing items
Professional fees
Accountant
Tools / breakages
Tow vehicle running costs (start with loaning personal vehicle to the business when it needs it)
Covered trailer hire
Commercial rubbish disposal esp. oil

To answer your actual question - the size of unit you are looking at 10m x 18m is basically a couple of generously-sized double garages. You need to allow maneuvering room, tool storage, space around the cars (including space for carcoons if each car is individually wrapped) and whether you will have office space in their too. So probably 6-7-ish cars in that space.

Edit:

Tl;DR; forget it, it's not worth it. At that size of unit plus having to rent it, you won't break even let alone make money.

Edited by 48k on Monday 6th June 16:00

[greygoose]

When I stored my car for a bit the business had a much larger barn which they had installed another level in and a lift in so the storage space was doubled, they also had several doors which meant they didn't have to move the cars about much to get them out.

[Welshbeef]

What about demand?
Do you know or have a ready list of people hunting down car storage?
What do you offer the market vs long standing companies who are known and trusted
How can you create awareness?

Are you planning top end cars Lambo Ferrari ascari etc or mk2 jags mk2 Escorts.
What price are you commanding?

Are you offering fully climatized (like the cacoons some Ferraris sit in) what the expected cost of this ?
What’s the break even number of vehicles needed.

Have you listed the Barrie’s to entry?

Have you any experience in this market sector? If not any average Joe could come in and take your customers purely on price.
Are you networked with influential individual in car clubs/ car jurnos


Lastly if I’m not mistaken the size you quoted appears not too different to Harry Matcalfs garage so…. Harry whilst has a number of cars there you’d imagine if your running a business the cost per unit would be eye watering.


One other lastly - given cost of living squeeze, cars are a luxury storage is an extension.


Can you afford to comfortably lose the set up costs?

[Truckosaurus]

You can charge different rates for cars that have instant access (ie. not blocked in) versus ones hidden away at the back which require 24hrs notice to collect.

If you were being creative you can use lifts and stackers if the building is high enough.

[jimhcat]

Does the barn actually have planning permission for storage?
Most barns are for agricultural use and you may need to go through a change of use with the planning authority

[Matt Harper]

Rodents - they like to nibble on cars.....

[alabbasi]

Keeping rats out is a full time job. Put bait stations everywhere and leave the bonnets up.

[vulture1]

The correct business model here is to be the farmer renting out the building.

[Steve H]

The people that are willing to pay a correct rate to have their car stored will not want it being eaten by vermin in a farmers barn.

I store a few cars for clients, the room is dehumidified, sealed from mooses (and traps/poison to make sure) and heated in the winter.

But to assist with the OP’s original question, a 14x10m room will take about 10-12 cars but not so they can all get in and out without moving some round.

[Panamax]

1. Rodents
2. Insurance
3. Violence (if you slip up on 1 or 2)

[Welshbeef]

Irish travellers
Serious organised criminals
Fire
Arson
Owners of cars are not insured themselves/assume you cover them