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Electrical Power, permits for hazardous chemicals (use, store, collect, discharge in the sewer..). Sewer traps. Emissions depending on where you are located.
Sanitary, sleeping quarters, etc.
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I'm about to move my machine into a building and start up my business.
I'd like to know if anyone here has experience with leasing industrial buildings that are 5000+ square feet in size..
What problems did you have?
Permits?
Lease agreements?
Building problems?
Landlord problems?
What to watch out for?
Thanks!
Murphy
Electrical Power, permits for hazardous chemicals (use, store, collect, discharge in the sewer..). Sewer traps. Emissions depending on where you are located.
Sanitary, sleeping quarters, etc.
Generally power is a biggie, and cost, the best deal I have found here for 3K sq ft. is about $0.58 per sq ft per month.
I have had building issues and Landload, I mean - Landlord problems.
My advice - GET EVERYTHING in writing. I mean everything. If he says that he is going to even clean the windows and refill the toilet paper holders for you before you move in, put that in the contract. Pull the contract out every few days and read your responsibilities and his - this will keep everyone on track. The small stuff really adds up and in the beginning it may seem trivial but in the end it starts to pile up - especially when you already have too much to do as the business owner. Most of my troubles so far could have been avoided with better communication.
I would urge you to photograph the building inside and out before you do anything, then again before you move in, then again after you are in. These photos will prove any improvements and may save you thousands when the owner thinks you took a transformer that was "right there in that corner - I just know it was there....well it was before YOU moved in".
Also - make absolutley sure that you are A-OK with the City before you get too far into it. Go there yourself and talk to Zoning - DO NOT take the owner's word - it is your time and $$ he will be wasting if he thinks it's zoned M-1 and it's actually zoned B-1, for example.
Scott
Consistency is a good thing....unless you're consistently an idiot.
Photograph everything, hallways, walls, doors, bathrooms, etc. If anything is not perfect, insure the landlord sees it and recognizes it in writing. Keep the photographs forever. When you decide to move on and build your own building, the photographs will provide you proof of the condition of the building prior to you moving in. Be sure the photographs are dated.
You also need to discuss upgrades that you make to the property with the owner. Typically, all upgrades become the property of the owner regardless of who paid for them.
Make sure the contract does not renew automatically after one year. You will want to discuss the contract after each year. Lease values may have decreased in your area and you can get a better rate.
Negotiate upgrades to the property before you move in to it. If you need to make an upgrade to meet your needs, have the landlord pay for it. Say you want an alarm system to protect your property. He can give you a free months rent or he can pay for it up front. Remember, the upgrade will probably become his when you move out.
What rcazwillis says about improvements in some states is the LAW. Make improvements to the property and they stay when you leave. Look into that for sure - good point, rcazwillis.
Consulting an attorney with issues such as this is a good idea. I assume you have one already if you are in business.
Scott
Consistency is a good thing....unless you're consistently an idiot.
Great stuff guys..
I did the picture things.. I have about 40 of them now of all areas of the building.. Im going to take more next time I go there..
The lawyer thing a "no-brainer" but it never hurts to remind someone eh?
I had to call up the city building / planning department.. The guy I talked to was REALLY helpfull.. Even told me that if he had to turn me down, he would point me in the right direction.. (Not sure what that means but it sounded good)...
The planning department wants a description of my "Process", what it entails, what it does and how it does it.. He said write out something brief.. I have chemicals that need to be used so he wants MSDS sheets on those and a diagram of how things will be laid out..
He said because I have "special considerations" (which I cant go into), I have to also go talk to the fire chief and get his permission....
This is getting really fun, really fast... LOL..
I was going to ask my wife if I could practice kissing her a$$ so I am all tuned up...
Murphy
never volunteer any information to a government agency! its a hard rule for me... if they ask a question answer the question and don't add any other details....
My mother and father always told me "you can't realy cheat someone if they're cheating you" they were succsessful business owners.
And just remember the government always cheats.
and once the cats out of the bag, you cant put it back in!
ask me how I know.
just some words of wisdom.
thanks
Michael T.
"If you don't stand for something, chances are, you'll fall for anything!"
There are two rules to life.Originally Posted by miljnor
never volunteer any information to a government agency! its a hard rule for me... if they ask a question answer the question and don't add any other details....
My mother and father always told me "you can't realy cheat someone if they're cheating you" they were succsessful business owners.
And just remember the government always cheats.
and once the cats out of the bag, you cant put it back in!
ask me how I know.
just some words of wisdom.
Rule #1 - Never tell anyone everything you know.
Great thread guys, lots of good info!
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
Check Out My Build-Log: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6452
Their's won't be as nice, and around here it is standard operating procedure so I get plenty of practice!
Murphy, pm sent
Improvements like shelving or pegboard/ slatboard, and other stuff screwed to the wall are usually not the landlords after the lease expires.. Normal practise is that anything that is SCREWED to the wall is considered removeable as a normal occurance, and belongs to the tenant, but if it's NAILED, it's permanent, and after lease expiry belongs to the landlord..
Only thing about screwing lots of stuff to the walls, is that on expiry the tenant 'should' be able to return the property to a reasonably close condition as it was at the start of lease.. normal wear and tear excepted..
If it makes any difference, my viewpoint is the landlords on commercial [not industrial] rental propery..It's the occupation that lets me farm as a hobby, and place with inexpensive CNC hobby equipment..
If in doubt, have it spelled out clearly in the lease as to who is responsible for what, not only right now, but when you decide to move on to a larger building, etc...
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