Renting a warehouse or workshop: loading dock, power, ceiling height
Warehouse and production need different things
For a warehouse, logistics come first: truck access, a loading dock, doors of the right height, a level floor and space to manoeuvre. A production unit also needs strong power supply, sometimes three-phase, ventilation, water and drainage. Food and other sensitive goods have hygiene requirements too. Cold rooms and heated space cost differently from a plain shed, so always state the type.
What to put in your request
- type of space — warehouse, cold storage, workshop, shed or open yard;
- area or direction — the city, outskirts or highway, for example the Central highway side near Kowloon;
- size — in sq ft or sq m, preferably with room to grow;
- rent — per month in total or per sq ft;
- dock and access — loading dock, truck entry, door height, ground floor;
- power — in kW, three-phase or not;
- heating and temperature — heated, unheated, refrigerated;
- ceiling height — minimum in metres, important for racking;
- use — what you will store or make;
- lease term — for example, from two years.
Example: “I need a 3,000 sq ft covered warehouse near Kowloon, on the Central highway side. Loading dock and truck entry, ceiling from 6 m, power up to 100 kW. For storing packaged food. Rent up to HK$2.75 per sq ft, lease from 2 years.”
What to look at during the visit
Check that a truck can really turn around on the premises, not only in the photos. Check the floor: is it concrete, and will it carry a forklift and racking? Ask about the roof, leaks and damp, site security, fire alarm and lighting.
Ask about power in two ways: not only “how many kW”, but whether that is the sanctioned load on paper or only a technical possibility. Also ask who pays to increase the load. For production, find out whether your kind of activity is allowed in that building. A common mistake is renting at a good price per sq ft but far from the highway or with a narrow approach where trucks cannot get in.
How it works with BlaBlaPrice
Warehouse owners and agents reply to your request in the chat: which space, area, price, terms, photos. The request is checked before it is shown, and BlaBlaPrice shows the best offer by content first. Owners see where they stand among the others and can improve their terms. Contacts stay hidden until you decide to share them with the right person. More: how it works.
If you are not sure which type you need, look at commercial property for rent. To buy instead of rent, see commercial property for sale.
