Renting warehouse space is a seemingly simple matter, but it can cause a lot of problems and even result in more expenses. How to avoid this? Read our article and learn about the three basic issues that are worth paying attention to when choosing a warehouse.

A Perfect Warehouse

As we have mentioned, renting warehouse space is a seemingly simple matter. All you need to do is find a company online that provides this type of service, sign a contract and send the goods. However, it may turn out that the warehouse is not adapted to your goods, it is not properly secured and as a result your goods might get damaged, or the warehouse does not allow you to increase the rented space when your business grows.

Therefore, before you make a decision, first determine your needs. What exactly do we mean by that? Consider what infrastructure you need, what space, whether the location is important to you and, if so, what it should be. Don’t forget about the storage class either. Thanks to this, you will receive specific parameters and it will be easier for you to find the warehouse that suits you best.

At this stage it will be helpful to ask yourself a few questions:

What type of products do you plan to store in the rented space?

What requirements must a warehouse meet, e.g. be able to store goods at low temperatures?

How much space will meet the needs of your business?

What kind of warehouse do you need – is it a high-bay, medium-bay or low-bay warehouse?

What class of warehouse are you interested in?

Equally important questions you should ask yourself are whether you are only interested in renting warehouse space or something more? Maybe you also need an office? Maybe handling orders and receiving goods is also important to you?

How much do you care about good infrastructure? Check whether the hall is located close to access roads to key expressways. Or maybe it is a secondary need and safety is of primary importance to you? Maybe the facility should be monitored? Or maybe 24/7 availability is important to you?

The more questions you ask yourself at the beginning, the easier it will be for you to determine the perfect warehouse that will meet your expectations.

Renting warehouse space – costs

At the first stage – determining your needs – you should consider the costs. These vary by location, warehouse standard and specific company.

Very often, price plays a key role and it is the right decision if the warehouse meets all your requirements. If not, you may pay several times more than you expected. Why? Just because of the loss of time, and therefore money, on looking for new warehouse space and the entire transport of goods, during which the execution of orders often has to be suspended.

Therefore, apart from the price, always ask about all the issues that are important to you.

The second thing is – give yourself a choice

When deciding to rent warehouse space, it is worth giving yourself more choice. This means not limiting yourself to one company, especially if it is selected only based on information from the internet.

We recommend choosing a few, but no more than five, warehouses that meet or are close to meeting all your expectations and send them an e-mail asking for an offer. Thanks to this, you will not only learn more about the space you want to rent, but also about the company itself – how it communicates, how long you have to wait for a response, etc. Good cooperation with the warehouse is the basis, which directly translates into your business.

When choosing a specific company, it is worth considering whether a specific warehouse will meet your expectations not only now but also in 5 years.

Rental of warehouse space – negotiations and contract

The last important issues when renting warehouse space are negotiations and the contract itself. At this stage, pay attention to everything that is important to you, it is also worth negotiating some points of the contract if they do not suit you or if you can gain something. For example, paying for a year in advance or signing a 5/10-year contract can give you a great bargaining chip when it comes to price.

As for the contract itself, read it carefully. Here you should focus on issues such as:

• duration of the agreement
• is it a short or long-term rental
• what costs you will incur in connection with the rental
• what fees are included in the rental
• are there additional costs and if so, what are they
• what are the conditions for terminating the contract

Renting warehouse space often allows you to reduce costs in your company. It is not necessary to purchase or build a hall, employ employees, train them, etc. The money saved here can be used to develop your company, and with the right partner (warehouse) it can be an even faster process.

And if you are looking for a reliable and proven company – please contact us. DTA has been supporting entrepreneurs by providing them with its warehouse space for over 30 years.

DTA warehouses are class A warehouses located near main communication routes. We offer space for rent for contract logistics with full service, as well as container logistics. Our offer includes high-bay warehouses and warehouses with extensive cross-docks. With us you can transship and order export shipments. If you are looking for warehouse space to rent, you are welcome to cooperate with us.

Please contact us:

phone: +48 693 298 777

e-mail: magazyny@dta.com.pl