Ramp/Garage space hire! Wirral.
Discussion
Just wondering if there is a market for the hire of garage space with the availability of a 2 post lift and other garage equipment. The idea being that people could hire the space to work on their own vehicles (or someone elses) and have the convenience of working indoors and with more space than the home garage or driveway.
Thoughts please?
Thoughts please?
There are a couple of these in other parts of the UK but comments I've seen suggest that the utilisation isn't very good. I guess it's hard to book it out as DIYers won't know how long a job is going to take, and there's probably not much demand during the normal working day.
If you're thinking of setting one of these up then I imagine insurance would be a bit of an issue - must be solvable, as others are doing it, but could be horribly expensive.
If you're thinking of setting one of these up then I imagine insurance would be a bit of an issue - must be solvable, as others are doing it, but could be horribly expensive.
I did a large amount of research into something similar a couple of years ago to reduce the cost of getting a far bigger workshop in Neston.
Market research suggested that it would be very busy at the weekend and quiet during the week, surprisingly whilst some people said they would use it in the evening during the week, it wasn’t as big a percentage as you'd think. . . . rent and council tax costs for a suitable location, are on the high side and liability insurance costs would make insuring a 17 year old on the F40 seem cheap and that was before factoring in the cost of equipping and maintaining each bay. . . . . Neston and later WBC (looked at a place in Bromborough) were of course their usual helpful selves and wouldn’t offer any help, only suggesting that there would be many hoops to jump through on the planning / admin side of things!
There was also the question of what to do with cars that the owner had failed to fix or simply don’t have the parts to continue on with that day . . . . . it is going to happen, so premises need to be suitable for securely storing cars as well as working on them and I can tell you now, that the potential customers I spoke to weren’t happy with the idea of having to pay a decent enough amount for storage to cover the additional costs
All in, it is a good idea, but not one that’s going to make anybody a living from, especially in an area where a large percentage of the potential customer base has little or no interest in fixing their own cars and those that do, may not be too keen on paying how much you’d have to charge (bearing in mind you’d be at best 100% busy at the weekend and 20% during the week) . . . . . you just need to look at how many motor factors and associated car parts places are open for more than a couple of hours at most on a Saturday morning. . . . and how many of the places we all knew and used to use over the weekend just a few years ago have now closed up for good.
ETA: happy to share any of the notes I have from my research, if it will help
Market research suggested that it would be very busy at the weekend and quiet during the week, surprisingly whilst some people said they would use it in the evening during the week, it wasn’t as big a percentage as you'd think. . . . rent and council tax costs for a suitable location, are on the high side and liability insurance costs would make insuring a 17 year old on the F40 seem cheap and that was before factoring in the cost of equipping and maintaining each bay. . . . . Neston and later WBC (looked at a place in Bromborough) were of course their usual helpful selves and wouldn’t offer any help, only suggesting that there would be many hoops to jump through on the planning / admin side of things!
There was also the question of what to do with cars that the owner had failed to fix or simply don’t have the parts to continue on with that day . . . . . it is going to happen, so premises need to be suitable for securely storing cars as well as working on them and I can tell you now, that the potential customers I spoke to weren’t happy with the idea of having to pay a decent enough amount for storage to cover the additional costs
All in, it is a good idea, but not one that’s going to make anybody a living from, especially in an area where a large percentage of the potential customer base has little or no interest in fixing their own cars and those that do, may not be too keen on paying how much you’d have to charge (bearing in mind you’d be at best 100% busy at the weekend and 20% during the week) . . . . . you just need to look at how many motor factors and associated car parts places are open for more than a couple of hours at most on a Saturday morning. . . . and how many of the places we all knew and used to use over the weekend just a few years ago have now closed up for good.
ETA: happy to share any of the notes I have from my research, if it will help
Edited by AndrewW-G on Sunday 1st May 20:42
I've also thought about doing this as a business but never looked in to seriously.
I'd certainly use a facility near Arrowe Park and I know a few of the guys who came to the Cottage Loaf meet the other week would too. Get on the case man and get it set up, I've got some work to do the E30!!
I'd certainly use a facility near Arrowe Park and I know a few of the guys who came to the Cottage Loaf meet the other week would too. Get on the case man and get it set up, I've got some work to do the E30!!
Hi guys,
Thanks for the replies, I think it would be a great idea, been busy with other things lately. I've got employers liability and public liability insurance, but can't seem to get insurance for people working on their own vehicles on my premises. If I can find a legal way round the problem
or a suitable insurance it will go ahead.
It is on the old champions site, but looking at alternatives. Roger.
Thanks for the replies, I think it would be a great idea, been busy with other things lately. I've got employers liability and public liability insurance, but can't seem to get insurance for people working on their own vehicles on my premises. If I can find a legal way round the problem
or a suitable insurance it will go ahead.
It is on the old champions site, but looking at alternatives. Roger.
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