Whatever your space needs there will be an ideal temporary buildings solution for you. You just need the help of a professional to find it. The main consideration will be how long you intend to use it.
If your business needs to increase its space for storage or maybe extra manufacturing facilities, you don’t have to search around for a building to rent. If you have space, for example in a yard or car park, you could find that an instant answer to your problem is to install a temporary building at your premises.
There are hundreds of companies across the country taking advantage of the benefits offered by a temporary building. If you have the space available, there is no need to go off-site with all the associated costs of doing so.
You are able to increase the space capacity at your premises in two different ways, depending upon whether your need is short-term (up to approx 18 months) or permanent. Both solutions can support your business needs and cost-effectively, giving you the opportunity to either hire a relocatable temporary building or to purchase a fixed (or permanent) building which is fabricated to your specification.
Hiring a relocatable temporary building keeps you in control, with total flexibility with regards to the length of time you need it for. Available in sizes of 500 sq ft up to 25000sq ft, the building can be installed where you need it – either at your premises or a site you are working at.
Relocatable buildings are normally available from stock and can be installed within 28 days with no up-front payments or minimum-term contract to tie you to. With this approach, you aren’t stuck with paying for a building you no longer need. You simply need a flat surface for us to install the building on.
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 temporary buildings 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.
The steel roofed buildings almost appear to be perfect, but there are other aspects that you need to consider about them.
The purchase and installation needs far more detailed project planning and project management compared to hiring a temporary relocatable building. The whole project really needs to be treated as a construction project with all its accompanying regulatory controls.
The structure requires a level concrete pad or base (or a level tarmac base); this will most likely need to be designed by an engineer to ensure that it conforms to all relevant standards.
The scope of installing such a temporary building means that applications will need to be made to the local authorities for planning and building control permissions. This process can lead to delays and also added costs for the application for the necessary permissions and new building warrant.
Additionally, depending upon the size of the intended building, the project would be subject to CDM regulations.
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 UK - which provides temporary buildings to hire or purchase for almost any industrial or storage application.