I have looked at renting shop space but there's some considerations which are making me think twice:It's a 2nd floor "loft" kind of space with a freight elevator for heavy stuff, otherwise walk up. I don't intend it to be a retail situation so customers for the most part won't be just walking by. Those who do show up will have to walk up.
It's 2400 sq. ft. with lots of windows and plenty of light fixtures for lighting. It's the end unit, so there's windows across two walls of the space.
There is no air conditioning unless I put in window units.
It's divided with approximately 1/4 or less of the space being walled off from the rest except for a wide doorway. In this smaller section I would put a router table and hopefully the dust would be somewhat contained there. There is a seperate heater for this room.
The larger area has it's own heater and also contains a brick room with a steel safe door on it. Evidently this was the payroll room for this factory. I can store flammables in this room. The rest of the space would have my computer for designing, and workbenches for painting and finishing the signs.
Wiring and heat is updated. The building itself is about 130 years old.
There are several other tenants on each floor. One of them is a furniture refinisher. I'm thinking my insurance will be high because of this (flammability or explosions from solvents being one concern)
There is no sink or toilet in the space that's for lease.
Bathrooms are on the first floor only. They are kept clean by a building janitor. There appears to be no "slop sink" for cleaning paint brushes or mops etc.
Each renter pays for their own trash removal.
I would have to carry the trash down to the parking lot where the dumpsters are located.
Most of the work I intend to do in this space will be related to routing and sandblasting, and then painting the signs I have just routed or blasted.
Are any of you currently working in space where water is not immediately available? Is this a small problem I should not worry about? Washing hands 3 times a day sometimes might get old walking up and down those steps. I know - latex or vinyl gloves would help.
The rent is very reasonable for this size space. $550 a month.
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