Making money from space.

elljay

A friend and I were talking about ways of making ends meet and he has a large barn that is only used for storing junk which we could quickly get rid of. We were wondering what we could use it for to earn money - we thought of indoor car boot sale and a couple of other things but wonder if anyone else has any ideas. It does have water and electricity supply to it and plenty of parking.

We thought of storage but couldn't really spend the money to compete with the big storage companies who can build in extra good security, heating/cooling etc.

Any - even crazy - ideas gratefully received. Thanks EJ

Little_Miss_Uni-Debt

Heya,

I guess it depends on the size and shape of the barn really and what part of the country it is in. Is it in a rural location.

My mate who lives on a farm converted their spare barns into loads of things over the years.

They put up some nets to turn one into a golf driving range.

They've put down astro turf for indoor footie and the soft floor mats for martial arts and a bit of gym space.

They've decorated it out for parties, bbq's and had bonfires in the field near by.

At one point it was converted into a photography dark room, it also makes a good observatory for shooting stars with a reasonable telescope and a hole in the roof

We've had mini music festivals in it with local bands playing and about 30 paying guests sitting on bales of hay.

We even converted it into a bit of a jungle gym with a rope swing and zip line.

I think the possibilities are endless. It all depends on what kind of area you are in and what your hobbies are and what you're friends are into.

elljay

Thank you, those are some interesting ideas - I'd be interested in knowing which were the most profitable from a business point of view.

We had thought about parties and also maybe renting it out to dancing teachers etc - the flooring isn't too bad - but we'd need to assess the market first before spending much money (which neither of us have!!)

Thanks for the ideas, will look into them further.

LJ

Little_Miss_Uni-Debt

I'd say the music gigs were the most fun and the most profitable especially if it becomes a regular thing. You could set up a website for it, make it a bit of an underground venue.

It all depends on the acceptable noise levels if neighbours are near by. In the countryside there's no-one near enough to hear.

Owain_Moneysaver

Winter storage for caravans and boats?

You would need a security system, but it would just be perimeter security and space monitoring, not having to fit out individual storage units.

'Empty space' on its own doesn't bring in much income; you need to add value and turn it into a business along the lines of Little Miss Uni-Debt's suggestions, where you can charge for hot-dogs/scones etc.

fairihell

Do you have. Local dog flyball team or maybe agility, I know our flyball team are always looking to rent places to train and to have competitions in the winter?

lincroft1710

If the barn is/was an agricultural building, you will need planning permission for change of use. You would also be faced with an annual non domestic rates bill.

GavB79

I honestly thought this thread was going to be about competing with Virgin Galactic or something

Taylor247

Hi there
There's a barn near me that hosts a regular farmers market and seasonal fayres. Might need to think about a portaloo though.

elljay wrote: »

A friend and I were talking about ways of making ends meet and he has a large barn that is only used for storing junk which we could quickly get rid of. We were wondering what we could use it for to earn money - we thought of indoor car boot sale and a couple of other things but wonder if anyone else has any ideas. It does have water and electricity supply to it and plenty of parking.

We thought of storage but couldn't really spend the money to compete with the big storage companies who can build in extra good security, heating/cooling etc.

Any - even crazy - ideas gratefully received. Thanks EJ

elljay

fairihell wrote: »

Do you have. Local dog flyball team or maybe agility, I know our flyball team are always looking to rent places to train and to have competitions in the winter?

Hi fairihell

What would a team etc expect to pay for use of the place?

elljay

GavB79 wrote: »

I honestly thought this thread was going to be about competing with Virgin Galactic or something

Sorry, but I wanted it to stand out a bit, rather than just saying, what can we use a barn for to make money!

Barns in space maybe as a follow up to Pigs in Space (Muppets c1980)?