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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 21, 2017 10:30:06 GMT
Doing a bit of market research on behalf of someone. How much call is there for reasonably priced car storage? A lot of people seem to be restricted to on-road parking which is far from ideal for cars like most of ours, fear of getting damaged and generally being out in the elements all year round.
How long would you keep it there? Months? Years?
How much would you want to pay?
Bear in mind this would be storage only, no workspace or anything. Literally to keep your car somewhere dry, safe and secure.
Any further input appreciated!
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Post by Horney on Apr 21, 2017 10:35:26 GMT
A council garage is around £50 a month. That's probably the ball park you want to aim for.
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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 21, 2017 11:28:08 GMT
True, although in Salisbury the council garages are pretty poor when it comes to general condition and security, I understand not all are like that! I happened to be speaking to a large UK based company through work and starting chatting about cars.They were looking in to providing car storage but only in the very early stages so they just asked me to find out the requirements and expectations from people who would potentially be looking to use something more professional. Cheers for your input bud.
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Post by atlex on Apr 21, 2017 11:30:30 GMT
they're a touch more expensive closer to london :-)
most of them are in residential areas so if someone makes noise breaking in someone should hear it.
the lock is generally not that hard to do, can do a sunken one on the floor or a latch into the side of the wall.
main trick... hardest part, that is, is finding one that is *dry*. a dry garage is a winner by default. You don't want your car parked over a watery mess. Look for residue from over winter.
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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 21, 2017 11:48:58 GMT
Absolutely they are lol I looked in to when I lived there and gave up!
As mentioned, this is information for a large UK company so everything is done by the book and the premises would be under lock and key, all fitted out nicely and most importantly, as you say, dry!
It wouldn't be some chap with a barn in the rear canoe end of no where. Then again, it may command a premium...
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Post by wannabe on Apr 21, 2017 12:20:54 GMT
- Dry / air conditioned.
- Guaranteed secure from thieving pikeys.
- Guaranteed no canoewit is going to damage it parking their car in the same storage space or strip bits off your car when no-one is looking.
- Either tucked away somewhere extremely quiet and with a blank unsigned exterior to the building so no-one can see you roll up in your ££££££ motor and know what the building is, or in a blatantly obvious place on a main road that has high levels of passing traffic 24/7 so good 'casual observance' in case anyone is up to something.
- The ability to carry out minor or even major DIY works to your car in-house - ramps/post lifts and comprehensive tools (including air line etc) would mean being able to swap wheels, do oil changes, etc etc.
- Low trolley jacks / axle stands / non-acidic plastic dustsheets / PAYG plugs/trickle chargers/battery conditioners would mean long term storage without damaging tyres/paint/batteries.
- Sectioned-off areas for each hirer, with secure CCTV looking at your car(s) you could dial in to?
- A fully insured, collection/drop off service using a sealed-box vehicle transporter thingy.
All of these would be great but I appreciate costs rising the more kit / security there is. |
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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 21, 2017 12:50:21 GMT
Agreed all of the above would make for an immense storage/workshop but I'm more talking about just storage, so cars aren't left out in the streets getting damaged and rusty. I imagine it would be your own locked unit within a complex. This particular one is out of the way, not on a main road nor in general view of anyone just passing by. Insurance would be part and parcel of the service and security would be a high priority.
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Post by minty on Apr 21, 2017 16:30:14 GMT
Obviously it comes down to locality and cost, simple as  I would probably pay £60 a month, and would not want to travel more than 15 miles or so (still need to give the car a run every so often) |
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Post by quinvy on Apr 21, 2017 22:18:48 GMT
This has been my problem. I have searched high and low for a descent lock up.
Had one at the bottom of my street (ideal location) but it was so damp my car would have been better off outside.
I looked at two more on the same road, but even though they were dry, the camber of the road combined with the slope up to the doors meant that any lowered car won't go in or out without scraping badly on the road.
Eventually, I managed to get my car stored in a unit that is owned by a professional detailer/high end car dealer. He looks after the car properly, I.e. trickle charger, covered and started up and moved at regular intervals. This doesn't come cheap though, but at least I have peace of mind.
However, when I get the car out of storage next week, it will have to stay outside my house on the public road.
So in answer to your question. Yes, I think winter storage at a reasonable price would be very popular. In fact I'm so fed up of having nowhere to park and work on my cars, that I have considered selling up and moving. Trouble is there isn't much equity in my tiny house, so that's never going to be possible.
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Post by AutotestAddict on Apr 22, 2017 18:32:36 GMT
I put mine into a garage rented from 'a bloke off t'internet' whilst I had an affair with a kit car. It was just a garage, dry, as secure as a garage in a residential property would be, and access by arrangement. £50/month.
I'm surprised anyone pays that tbh. For a couple of year's storage you could have a replacement car or a very good rennovation to undo two years of damp weather. I guess there is a market for it, as I struggled to find free garages near me, but I don't understand it. Seems a very expensive way to not enjoy a car.
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Post by minty on Apr 22, 2017 20:26:20 GMT
6 months a year after you've spent money welding/rustproofing etc, I can understand why some people would want to do store for the winter.
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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 24, 2017 7:22:01 GMT
Thanks for the input lads, really helpful stuff. I'll pass everything on and hopefully can show by this snippet, that there's definitely a want and need for proper storage.
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Post by atlex on Apr 24, 2017 9:37:05 GMT
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Post by trikkisixx on Apr 24, 2017 10:07:30 GMT
Yeah they're awesome! I did used to work for someone very well known in the automotive industry who had barns full of classics in these types of things. It's another world. |
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I would probably pay £60 a month, and would not want to travel more than 15 miles or so (still need to give the car a run every so often)
le sigh