For whatever reason, the lack of quality industrial space available for rent seems to be an ongoing issue in many parts of the country.
It must be a tricky situation for developers to be in when the economy is so fragile. Speculative development needs to have the demand; otherwise the risk for them is huge. But, the right space available when manufacturers need it is essential to support economic movement and growth. Simple lacks of funds within the property market and or a lack of confidence in the economy could be other factors that are seeing this ongoing slowdown in new development.
It seems that some areas are suffering more than others in terms of quality available space. The North West, South West, South East and East Midlands seem to still be in short supply. And, if it continues are these areas in risk of businesses relocating to areas where temporary warehouse supply can meet demand? Or, maybe businesses would be forced to commit to design and build programmes to get the space they need. With the economy remaining so fragile though, would it be prudent to make such a large investment and long-term commitment?
The ability to have a temporary warehouse space is still appealing to many because the risk factor remains low. So if you need to wait for good quality warehousing space to rent or for the unlucky ones have no other option but a new build, how do you accommodate the additional space requirements in the interim?
There is another way to get temporary warehouse space for either short or long-term use. And, for many manufacturers and wholesalers it is providing an easy, economical and effective stop-gap; or in many cases an alternative solution.
Hiring a temporary warehouse building can now be done on-site by using industrial aluminium buildings. By using a lightweight metal for the frame, these buildings have amazing flexibility, literally and metaphorically. They can be built very easily onto existing surfaces and so can be dismantled and removed just as easily, hence the hire contracts. And, they can literally flex against impact creating strength and durability.
There are also numerous advantages of keeping additional space on-site as opposed to five miles down the road, tighter stock control, lead times, lower transport time, fuel consumption to name a few.
So are these temporary warehouse buildings a viable alternative to hiring quality industrial space or a design and build programme? As with everything it depends on individual circumstances and needs. They do come in a range of sizes, specifications and insulation properties so a wide range of storage and warehousing can be accommodated. And, they can be linked together or to existing buildings giving the option for very large buildings if you have the space to accommodate it.
More importantly though, despite being engineered from comparatively lightweight metal, they do have a design life of 15 to 20 years. As a stop-gap or even alternative solution that doesn’t generate any risk, high investment or long-term commitment these temporary warehouse buildings are becoming a very interesting solution for many businesses.