Car Storage, Where, and how much?

[SamWise1972]

I know that some of you guys have units where you store your cars. I have a car port, but it's currently full of a friends dodgily customized Sherpa (yes, you heard). I have a garage, but it's currently full of 24 vintage bikes, and is only a single anyway. I'm going to get myself a shed as a workshop, but the fact is, storing cars is an issue. There's limited parking round my way, and though having three cars is not such a problem, I'd love to have more space to store and work on them.

So, those of you that have somewhere, how big is it, how much does it cost you, and how do you find it? I'm currently paying a ridiculous £40 a month to park my bus on grass where there's no security, so I could kick that into the cost of anything I found on top of whatever I decide I could afford. Ideally, something with plenty of inside space - enough for a bus and several cars, plus plenty of working space. I guess a barn with electricity would be favourite.......

[xmexclusive]

Hi Sam

Parking in the grounds of a private house or using a private garage is the cheapest option particularly if you have benevolent/tolerant relatives or friends. If you go for commercial units and or outside parking on farming or industrial premisis then you are into rent plus vat, electricity and business rates. The latter items double my annual outgoings. Then there is the security of tenure to consider with a good number of XM's and spares you are perhaps asked to move on at a months notice.
It would be as cheap to buy the XM's I want at WHM's prices and replace them every four years or so. Just would not give me the interest I want for XM ownership.

regards

XMexc

[SamWise1972]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Also, I'm not just interested in running an XM or two as a daily driver - I want a CX, and a GS, and to be able to mess with them in comfort.

[Andmcit]

Well, I originally found a place in the wild's of nowhere where a Dairy farm got wound up as
a going concern a few years back and some outbuildings were converted to become a holiday
'chalet' let and now low cost rented accommodation but the big Atcost Barn remained empty...

The main place holds 28 cars and costs me 140 a month. The drawback was the expansion I
made a few years back into an identical barn literally adjacent to the first for less than double
the initial rent which the owner would like to have back!! The original barn has a massive height
which is actually wasted but if I could get all the cars stored standing on their noses...

Seriously, there's electricity, it's dry, and best of all it's SECURE and in the middle of nowhere
so no unwanted attentions from strangers and I get on well with the encumbent lodgers of
the chalets so they are very good security to have around too.

Any Industrial/Commercial unit will have rates probably higher than the actual rent. If you only
plan to store cars/parts in an agricultural building the issue isn't so clear cut but I have worked
on the basis that I work on my cars at my home swapping cars to/from the storage barn this
helps keep any additional overheads down. Maybe I'm lucky with the rates issue...

In my part of the world, the way things look with farming these days there's more money in
stabling etc for horses. I'd scout around and ask as many farmers out of town first - I'm
sure they'd welcome additional regular income for something they're not actually using
themselves. I've also got another place too found the same way...

Andrew

This post has been edited by Andmcit on January 20, 2008 01:00 pm

[SamWise1972]

28 cars wasn't enough room for you???

[Andmcit]

You REALLY don't want to go there...
You know the old saying, you don't have to be crazy to like old Citroens - but it helps!

Andrew