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Moving to new premises soon
Just signed a lease on new premises – right on the road side with parking front and back. I’ll be going from a 5m x 5m space to 11m x 7.5m. Not huge i know but so much more space than i have now. I’m looking for layout ideas. I want to create a kind of flow, starting with the cutter on the left, weeding and taping on the 10ft bench, the 8×6 bench will be for sheet material prep and laying graphics. Any ideas gratefully received
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25 Replies
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Great news Ewan, hopefully you’ll be wishing you had more space again in the near future!
If you can perhaps rotate the 10×4 bench, and have it parallel to the 8×6 bench. Then vinyl from the plotter can go onto either bench without obstruction. Then if one bench is in use, you’ve another to to use easily.
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Yeah i get what you mean, though i think if i did that i would need to move the sheet racks, unless i put that on the opposite wall? I want to try and leave enough space round the benches so i can walk right round them if needed.
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If sheets are coming in the back, keep the sheet rack at the back.
Stock in onto the rack -> Off rack onto the bench -> Out the door.
Our unit is small, 1 bench, 1 entrance, it’s a pain lugging sheets about round machines etc. Here’s what I imagined.
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Ewan – let me suggest that you don’t fix anything down pernamently just yet – plans are all good but actually using the space will verify the layout quickly. We have 2 floors at approx 12x8m i have done the plan in illustrator considering measurments of each piece of equipment and allowed space to move arround them and get media in and out…after 1 year in the unit nothing is where it was oryginally planed to be…
All our benches have wheels we have 1x10x5 and 3x 8×4 all for diferent use most of the equipment and shelves are easily movable to addapt the small space to most projects (we make large props as well as signs and vehicle graphics) just my 5p 😉 -
Cheers, yeah I fancy the benches at least on wheels
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David for easiness all materials will have to come in the front
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Excellent news mate.
Well done…You’ve worked extremely hard over the last couple of years so you deserve this mate.
Keep up the good work
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Do the bench 10 x 5
You’ll regret it if you dont..
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Good luck Ewan!
I’m potentially moving too, much like yourself, I make a fairly accurate floor plan with a 1m grid overlaid, then lock it all down, then using scaled rectangles to represent cutter, printer, laminator, cupoards, desks, etc, I lay it out roughly how I think it wll work best, takes a bit of time but you can at least work out what will and won’t fit where if you’re looking to have a full reshuffle!
Don’t forget, not all the vinyl is kept on the wall racks.. with the best of intentions you’ll still end up with areas of floor taken up with excess stock or boxes of "I can’t throw that away".. even if you’re ultra strict and throw it all away now, you’ll still end up with it again unless you are ruthless with excess stock, I include areas of floor taken with this and also place it in the plan!
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I use masking tape and cardboard boxes :D. Thats after drawing the whole thing up on cad to check!
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How did you get on with the unit Ewan? Any photos?
I’m also keen to get new unit, i struggle for space and end up working in a communal hallway at weekends to give me that extra bit of room, it’s not ideal and dust/crap is an issue.
I’ve got 2 options in mind, one is a unit that is double the size of mine, the extra space is upstairs. it’s within budget but it’s only about 2.7m x 5.7 metres and again the same upstairs.
Ideally I would like to get the printer and laminator upstairs as it will be less footfall but i think that might be an issue due to weight (carrying the things up the stairs i mean) so i guess that will need to stay downstairs. It also doesn’t have a vehicle bay so I was thinking of buying a 4m x 6 metre gazebo to use at weekends to do part wraps or for when it’s raining etc (Obviously with sides).
My second option is a bit further out, it’s 14500mm x 5800mm, has a roller shutter but it’s not high enough to get a big van, i need to measure but i think it’s about 2m high counting the bricks.
It’s out of budget and they want one quarter’s rent up front as well as another quarter as a deposit for the entire lease, but the extra room is a bonus and it will hopefully allow me to get a more of a production line going on some products.
My heads telling me to go with the smaller unit that will give me the much needed space but the vehicle bay and extra space could help me especially in the winter months.
Be good to see everyone’s unit to get a view of what you guys do and what is actually needed
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I should be in and up and running by the 1st May. The landlord is sorting the electrics just as they are quite old. Replacing fuse box and some old sockets then i can specify if i want new sockets elsewhere. I’m quite lucky in that its the same landlord as i have now so my rent will just continue as normal, albeit double the price. No photos yet as the current tenants are still there. This the location though, Right on the roadside of one of the main thoroughfares through the area. The parking area is to the rear, however i can park the van off the road quite easliy on the shore side of the road. The space is basically an old scout hall so just 1 big open space.
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This is more or less the view out of the window
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That’s an awful view Ewan.
I much prefer to be looking out on the main road; people driving like lunatics, spitting in the streets, dodgy geezers having a quick look in parked cars for the ‘opportunity’ to make a quick buck.
Funnily enough, I’m actually looking to move into a different premises soon. Unfortunately, the owners are taking longer than I’d like to get stuff sorted out. But I’m in a bit of a situation as the person who owns the property I’m currently in has sold the property and I’m now being asked to be out by the end of this month.
The new place has loads of space, but needs a little work before I can move in. Rent is as cheap as chips, minimal business rates and no water rates. Just need them to move quicker.Oh yes, it doesn’t have as good a view as yours either.
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Yeah its not the best view but its a small sacrifice to get some passing trade
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Nice view.
Just been to look at my second option, see attached images.
Roller shutter it actually 2.7m which is a bonus.
Needs some work to get it up to scratch, the entrance is also an issue, bit of a steep slope so no wrapping a Ferrari :smiles:
Waiting for the owner to confirm all the costs now.
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I’d love a unit with as space where I can vehicles in the door but industrial type units are non existent here. Nearest industrial estate is 24 miles away
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I’ve been searching for ages, prices are so high I don’t know how anyone can move into one. This one is fairly reasonable compared to others
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quote Daniel Evans:I’ve been searching for ages, prices are so high I don’t know how anyone can move into one. This one is fairly reasonable compared to others
There are places out there if you keep looking, Farm / agricultural estates are generally around £6 per sq ft per year, Industrial from £9 per sq ft per year. I’m about to move to a slightly bigger unit (600 to 800sq ft) and because it’s industrial it’s going to double my rent!! However, location is very important with a sign firm in my opinion, if you’re in a cheap unit at the back of nowhere you’ll have to spend a lot of time, money or both, on advertising. If you have a good main road location and make use of it then the work generally comes to you!
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Thats what sold it for me Hugh. The rent is double but i’m right on the main road of the main route through here. The way i see it is i can’t fail but to increase business from it
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Wow, prices are little more round here.
A 1000 sq ft unit is about 22,000 + vat + service charges.
Farm units go for about 1000 a month
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quote Daniel Evans:Wow, prices are little more round here.
A 1000 sq ft unit is about 22,000 + vat + service charges.
Farm units go for about 1000 a month
where are you based Daniel? I can go an get a unit on a big estate that is easily that money, the smarter / newer an estate is the more they seem to charge, look around at some of the smaller estates! also look through your local free-ads, the letting agents rarely deal with the small estates or agri buildings as the landlord generally deals direct with you (from my experience), rarely will you get service / ground rent etc, you probably won’t even be asked to pay up front or do anything more than a rolling 1 /6 / 12 month agreement.
It could even be worth putting an advert in your local free-ads type papers, tell people what you’re looking for and see what you get offered!
Many of the big units have 5 + year lease meaning that if you get in trouble and want to downsize, you’ll probably have to fold officially to get out of paying the remainder of the lease.. seen it so many times where small companies take on too much and have the dissolve or bankrupt themselves to get out of paying another 3years rent!! If you do go for something with a 3/5+ year lease, ensure there’s a get out clause every 18months or whatever, they don’t like doing that but if it’s a case of rentin it to you or not, they’ll usually go for it.
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I think, that while i dont have access to industrial units here i’m quite lucky in that my landlord and i know each other, My lease is a 2 year lease so not tied to anything long and its not overly expensive £410 a month for 270 sq ft.
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I’d definitely agree with trying to go direct to landlords if you can. I’ve just recently got my first unit (last week!) after simply driving around the local industrial estates and looking for "to let" signs, or empty units that I could then research the owners of online and contact direct.
Mine’s on a small complex of about 20 or so identical units, (part of a larger industrial estate) just under 300 square ft (like a big double garage), roller shutter access, electrics (all included in the rent), alarmed, with a serviced shared toilet block, at £45 a week. No VAT. And a simple one month rolling contract.
A similar unit from an estate agent is currently up for around £300+VAT/month.So as you can see, if you drive around and ask a few questions, there are good units to be found.
As for location, I think it depends who your clients are. Personally I’m not targeting "passing trade" so being off the main road is great. But I know plenty of other people who need to be seen by the general public, which unfortunately whilst footfall is probably greater, the rents tent to be higher. Pros and cons hey!
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I recently moved into a 5,000 sq ft unit after getting gazumped on a building that had been empty for 4 years! Moved from 1,800 sq ft mainly on a first floor, was on a decent-ish industrial estate ( howdens, screwfix etc)
I took on something that wasnt as pretty as I would have liked and needed tidying up, but at only £40 a week more than I was already paying and 2,500 sq ft of ground floor space it was a no-brainer really and I got some rent free months for "doing it up " I use about 70% of it at the moment, but am gradually filling it as I go, in the process of extending the Laser Cutting and sheet storage area at the moment by another 500 sq ft
Low cost space is more valuable to me than prime position.
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