Looking for a place to work and store.

Concerned75

I can't find a forum that covers this query, so if it's in the wrong place, I'm sure someone will tell me.
I'm moving home soon, but I am looking for a unit/ workshop somewhere small enough to work from in that area. I've used various search keywords, but not much comes back. So, I thought, as I have items I also need to put into storage, are there any buildings out there where you can work in, so facilitated with electric, gas, kitchen etc...put able to store personal items also? Any relevant suggestions or website links appreciated. Looking around the West Midlands area.
Thanks

StevenB12

I'm not very familiar with the West Mids but, in general, not that I know of.

We have had requests previously (work in a building firm) for us to modify storage lock ups etc, but it's just not feasible to be able to turn it into a fully living/work area. More often than not you need planning permission, and this is if you actually own the building/unit as well. We had a self employed person who specialized in computer repairs etc, he had just bought a lock up but basically wanted to turn it into a living space just so that he could work more hours. He had to get planning permission in order to get just about anything. Even to get a sink and running water in needed council and water authority permission as new drainage lines had to be ran to the building etc. All in all it was going to be cheaper for him to rent a house and the unit than it was to pay for the modification, and even then, he was eventually turned down by the council for the planning permission, as other units didn't want to be effected by having the road/paths dug up.

It's definitely not something you couldn't do, but you may be better off looking for an office etc that has a storage unit with it.

Cheeky_Monkey

Can't you just rent a small self storage unit and work from home?

nicechap

Its not uncommon to use a storage unit as a place of work:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25336446

But i believe its not generally allowed due to the reasons given above, particularly where would waste water go.

Could you 'camp' so to speak and brink flask/ water and keep kettle/ microwave inside and go outside to do your ablutions?

Ja7188

Why do you need gas and a kitchen? If you just want to make yourself coffee and snacks during the day, all you need is electricity for a kettle and a fridge - and obviously take a flask of water with you each morning.

Perhaps worth having a look around to see whether anyone has an outbuilding they want to rent out - depending on how much stuff you want to store, this could work well. It would also be likely to be in someone's back garden, which would be much quieter than a storage unit with lorries coming and going outside...

getmore4less

Depends what the work is and how big "small" unit is

The starting point would be an attached garage.


Round our way there are loads of small industrial units on estates ready for use with full services.

A few craft brewers have set up in a single unit to get started.

jamesperrett

I would have thought that just about any light industrial unit would be OK. It was quite a few years ago now but I had an office building that also had light industrial permission so that people like printers could set up there. I used the ground floor for storage for a few months while the first floor was still in normal use. Just about any unit should have a toilet and drinking water available.

gettingtheresometime

What about these guys ?

https://flexspace.co.uk/offers/

Concerned75

It's definitely not something you couldn't do, but you may be better off looking for an office etc that has a storage unit with it.

This is ideally what I'm looking for. I'm moving from a 3 bed house into a shared 1 bed flat, so all my big furniture, such as a fridge, freezers, aren't really suitable in a storage unit. I don't want to live in the unit/studio, it would be just for working and storing my big items, so electric is important, as my work involves machinery and it's close up work, so a garage type space wouldn't be ideal, as I need natural light to work from too.
Apart from my clothes and personal items, everything I have would have to be stored or in use in a suitable space, as there is no space in the flat. This living arrangement is a temporary measure for now.