Whatever your space needs there will be an ideal temporary building solution for you. You just need the help of a professional to find it.
There are two main types of temporary buildings – a relocatable building or a fixed building. The decision as to which to choose is really based on whether you choose to hire or purchase, and most importantly, how long you believe you will want the building for.
If your company needs a building for longer than 18 months then the best solution is to purchase a fixed (or permanent building). These buildings are designed like a ‘traditional’ building yet cost a fraction of the price.
Another important factor, as to whether you hire or buy will depend upon whether you intend to apply for planning permission or not....
Quite simply, if your period of use is more than 28 days, by rights, you should apply for planning permission. Although, you may well decide NOT to go down the time-consuming and costly process of applying for permission if you are only looking for a short-term hire of up to 18 months...(as many do)
However, if you are looking longer-term than 18 months, I would recommend you seriously look at buying a steel-roof building, and making a formal application for planning permission...
If you decide to hire a temporary relocatable building, you will find the following advantages..
They are ideal as a quick solution – immediately solving a problem you may be having with warehouse or production space. The relocatable temporary buildings are fast to erect and dismantle – they provide an ‘instant’ solution.
The design of these buildings mean that no foundations or footings are needed as they simply fix using bolts or spikes to any hard standing surface. An added benefit is that they able to be erected on uneven or sloping ground and no particular ground preparation is necessary.
The temporary buildings are normally available from stock as they are standard sizes. However, if your needs change, the building can easily and rapidly be extended or reduced in size.
You will most likely find that Planning Departments will ‘turn a blind eye’ (in most cases) if you are using the building for less than 18 months. However, if planning permission is refused, the building can be quickly and easily removed.
Hiring a temporary building should also mean that depending upon your supplier, you should be able to have flexible hire terms – on a weekly basis, and you will only be paying for the building for as long as you need it. Additionally, there should be no up-front payments or capital outlay.
In weighing up the decision as to whether to hire or buy a temporary building, in spite of the numerous benefits of hiring, there are of course also some disadvantages.
The construction of the relocatable buildings means that they aren’t as secure as a steel-roofed building due to PVC fabric being used for the roof. The building itself depreciates and deteriorates over time with a normal maximum lifespan of 10 years.
Financial institutions are unlikely to class the building as an ‘asset’ due to its ‘demountability’ – the building themselves are modular in design and are of course re-usable. This feature which in itself is such a benefit does mean that the building as a whole is difficult to identify as a single construction structure.
The buildings have minimal insulation values which are a consideration for ‘sensitive’ products and are more costly to heat compared to a steel roofed building due to low U values. If you decide to install a thermo-insulated roof, this requires a constant 13amp power feed for the air pump.
The perimeter of the building has potential for water ingress at the base and you could also find that it can be costly to insure depending upon the use and the goods stored inside. PVC and aluminium additionally have lower fire retardency values to consider.
Ultimately, to decide which option is best for you and your business, you need to know as much information as possible about the different temporary building systems available. There are many factors involved but fundamentally, the most important consideration really boils down to the time frame you are going to want the building; and if you intend to apply for planning permission.
Antony Hunt runs the company Smart Space Temporary Buildings - which provides temporary buildings to hire or purchase for almost any industrial or storage application.