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moving to Small unit advice
Hi guys looking for a bit of advice regarding a small unit i have been offered, its around 7.5m x 7.5m in size, my main reason for looking at it is the option to do small to medium size vehicles inside, now the winter is coming up, as i’m currently working out of a office building.
Do you think 7.5m x 7.5m is big enough to have a fitting bay and printers ect. I was thinking of leaving a floor space of 5m L X 3.5M W for fitting and using the other half of the unit for equipment , i was thinking of keeping one of my offices for storage , as they are not to far away.
I no i could just go and measure it up but would be nice to hear from anyone working from a unit this size ?
Thanks
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22 Replies
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Hi Danny,
I have a similar size unit, 8.5 x 6.5m, I made a floor plan to scale – with 1m grid lines across it, made scale sized shapes to represent printers, desks etc. and moved them about to make sure / know how it would all fit. I made an office aprox 3m wide x 8m (angled at one end to allow vehicles to get in through the central shutter door), later when purchasing a 60" printer I needed a bigger bench so extended 3.5 m across the back, leaving an area about 5.5 x 3.5m for vehicles, not massive but I can get most vehicles at least most of the way in to work out of the elements.I can’t post an image on this section of the forum to show you but reckon you can work it out!
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Hi Hugh
Thanks for coming back to me, glad to know it can work, i’ll put a floor plan together and see how i go. On a side note what did you put down for flooring ?
Thanks Danny
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Hi Danny,
I moved into an old cow shed of all things!! the floor was very uneven and took days to do properly!!that aside – assuming you have a flat floor.. I put down 2" wooden bearers and fixed them to the floor, levelling where I needed to, I then put down chipboard flooring, then laminate flooring.
Walls (put up before the floor) I built a timber frame for the office (8ft tall to allow for moving panels around!) then used 8×4 sheers of 10mm ply to panel inside and out – fibreglass insulation between. windows and doors were sourced from my window fitting neighbour, some used – just removed from buildings, and some new mis-measures, the ceiling was 4×2 bearers with ply ceiling, insulation and topped with chipboard flooring to give handy storage space.
If you look me up on facebook I can send you an example floor plan and a few photo’s. I’ve still not got around to painting all the ply or covering it with interesting print covered panels though!
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Cheer Hugh
I’m going to have a look tomorrow so hopefully the floor is flat and i can just lay laminate down, I’m not on facebook mate.
Thanks Danny
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Our unit is a bit larger than Hugh’s, at 820sq/ft, full height sectional roller door,we partitioned the rear across about 1/3 with suspended ceiling, 11-12ft high so we can swing 10×5 sheets about, a small office infront of that to one side, with Island desk that comfortably houses 3 of us, and enough room to accomodate MWB transits etc.
Bigger would be better for us, but I’d rather make do as we are and take the extra £££’s home each month.
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If it’s any inspiration at all I started in space much smaller than all you guys have mentioned 3.5m x 2m
A few years later and we are now in 10,000sqft of production space with offices…Been here a year and already we need to possibly take on another unit to add more kit.
Make the leap Danny you will start taking the business more seriously too!
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James
3.5 x 2 meters?
Luxury! -
I started in a room which was about 7ft x 6ft, one of the best early decisions I made was to move into commercial premises as soon as I could afford to. As James has said, nothing like a bit of overhead to keep you motivated and chasing more sales.
Im just about to make my 3rd move into 5,000sq ft it gets easier as you gain momentum
Once you get settled you will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. Best of luck.
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I am in a similar position currently, looking to open up a commercial unit early next year. Will be my first and hopefully not my last. I just look at it and think it is so much money and get discouraged by it but I do believe the financial drive it will bring with it will be a valuable asset! The units I have been looking at are probably a bit to big for a small startup as they are 2400sqft at £14000+ pa!
So scary!!
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Wow, I looked at a unit last month and that was 21,000plus vat plus business rates for 1600sq ft, god knows how people make that first leap into a commercial unit with vehicle access
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I guess it comes down to how bad you really want it!
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quote Daniel Evans:Wow, I looked at a unit last month and that was 21,000plus vat plus business rates for 1600sq ft, god knows how people make that first leap into a commercial unit with vehicle access
Its not easy by any means, on my first move what I had in my mind and what I actually got where two different things. I had a budget to work to and all the units I saw which fitted my perfect unit were too expensive.
I had to compromise, and found a first floor unit (I wanted ground floor) that was primarily big enough to make what I was already doing easier and gave me some room to try new things. If I had waited for my perfect unit I may have eventually got it, but I would probably be 2 years behind where I am now. Rent a smaller unit, shabbier unit, share a unit, a unit that’s 5/10 miles further away than you might have wanted.
I think the worst scenario is "do nothing" if you are doing nothing have a good reason as to why!
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Thanks Steph,
I’ve currently got a unit but it’s got no vehicle access and I’ve out grown it, i personally can’t justify spending that amount on a unit and risk losing it when I have a business that works.
I’ve been searching for what seems like forever and nothing is affordable. On this basis I spoke with a old school friends father who has a unit he is willing to sublet, very messy and cold but does have space and vehicle access, room for my equipment and hopefully a large table, I’m also not allowed to put any signage up to say I’m there or allow customers to visit. On this basis I would have to keep my current unit as a office for post, client visits etc and use the other unit for production, seems like a right pain to me but I can’t see how else I can progress.
Good news is I can tidy the place up, well my half and it’s got a drop down thing that would keep the warmth in once heated. I can’t really control the heat as it would be with a space heater it it’s a start although I’m just not sure.
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quote Daniel Evans:Thanks Steph,
I’ve currently got a unit but it’s got no vehicle access and I’ve out grown it, i personally can’t justify spending that amount on a unit and risk losing it when I have a business that works.
I’ve been searching for what seems like forever and nothing is affordable. On this basis I spoke with a old school friends father who has a unit he is willing to sublet, very messy and cold but does have space and vehicle access, room for my equipment and hopefully a large table, I’m also not allowed to put any signage up to say I’m there or allow customers to visit. On this basis I would have to keep my current unit as a office for post, client visits etc and use the other unit for production, seems like a right pain to me but I can’t see how else I can progress.
Good news is I can tidy the place up, well my half and it’s got a drop down thing that would keep the warmth in once heated. I can’t really control the heat as it would be with a space heater it it’s a start although I’m just not sure.
When I first moved one of the main things I thought about was how much will I be missing if I stay as I am. I didnt look on the move as added overhead (I still had a budget to work within) as much as, what can I do with much more room. It was a sort of stepping stone if you like. If that first move had been my final destination then maybe I would have stayed where I was and waited a bit longer. In my mind it was just a temporary means to get to where I wanted to be.
I did, however, make sure I could "walk away" from the building after 12 months if it didnt work out.
Only you know what is right for you and your business, good luck
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quote Daniel Evans:Wow, I looked at a unit last month and that was 21,000plus vat plus business rates for 1600sq ft, god knows how people make that first leap into a commercial unit with vehicle accessYou should be able to get a decent unit for about half that price. Check with your local council to see if they have units available
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That was the council and supposedly the current going rate for commercial properties in the area.
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i work from a 2×5 m office in garden, everyone always saying you need a bigger place, but immaking good money, and theres no rush,
i have an arrangemnent with three local mechanics that i can use a corner of their garage to fit vinyl on vans etcm, slip them £20 or so and there delighted,
the haullage company , i use there garage, wash bay even the feed store!! to do their work, they are happy though as i do their stuff out of hours so their vehicles dont miss a shift.
unffortunately the local industrial estate is a bit of a mess and the units their are not that great, so im happy with where i am. for now!
the good local industrial estate with the good units, has a sign guy and a seperate embroidery place, dunno how id fit in there!!
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quote David Mitchell:the good local industrial estate with the good units, has a sign guy and a seperate embroidery place, dunno how id fit in there!!
In economics, there is a "Law of Greengrocers"
"If you open a greengrocer next door to an existing greengrocer, you double the profits of both"
This applies to most if not all industries. -
We have a handfull of ‘printers’ withing walking distance, we have a sign writer over the tram tracks, another franchise has moved to the next road down, all of this within walking distance.
I have a window tint & wrapping place opposite our unit on the same estate.
I keep my head down and get on with what I do, don’t worry too much about others.
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I did put a bit of a feeler around for local space to rent. Got tagged in a few things on Facebook including a lovely little unit up for £500 a month. Mezzanine deck inside, but the only problem… The men deck has taken up so much room so larger vans won’t really fit in there anymore………
Do I go with it and find an extra side space to do other vans in??
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Go see it, in reality how many high roof vans do you do?
Will it still take standard transits etc?
We’re lucky that our neighbour lets us use his unit for the bigger jobs when he’s not using it.
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quote David Hammond:Go see it, in reality how many high roof vans do you do?
Will it still take standard transits etc?
We’re lucky that our neighbour lets us use his unit for the bigger jobs when he’s not using it.
I did have an image on my phone but it is not there now, I could potentially fit a standard transit in but it would be very tight I believe. The guy seems to have changed his mind short term on who he wants as a tenant. Apparently the area has had issues with vehicle based companies causing blockages in the estate as it is quite tight .I said to him that we would be no bother as we never tend to take on more than 2 vehicles at a time. Hate the idea of storing customers vehicles outside.
We will see if he changes his mind again :bangshead:
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