Warehouses for sale in your area

Buying a warehouse makes sense in two quite different situations. The first is your own business - you need permanent space for longer and would rather stop paying rent and invest once. The second is buying as a small, private investor: you buy a warehouse not to use it yourself, but to rent it out to others. This is not the same as an institutional investment by a real estate fund - you do not need millions in capital or a portfolio of several halls for it to make sense with one specific property.

Buying pays off when you know you will need the space for a long time and steadily - otherwise the running costs (property tax, insurance, possible repairs) may exceed what you save compared with renting. If you are not sure about the long-term need, or you are looking for something for a shorter period, see warehouses for rent - a less risky option to start with.

• Technical condition - roof, installations, any signs of damp or cracks in the structure.

• Legal status of the property - the land and mortgage register, whether the property is free of encumbrances (mortgage, easements).

• Designation in the local zoning plan - whether the plot/building actually has a status that allows storage activity.

• Building documents - the occupancy permit and any fire safety permits, if the building requires them.

It is worth having a notary or lawyer carry out a detailed check of the legal status before signing the contract - it is not something you can safely assess yourself based on the listing alone.

If you are buying a warehouse with a view to renting it out, check the real demand in the area - whether there is actually a shortage of this type of space in the location, or the market is already saturated. It is also worth working out at what rent similar properties actually get rented in the area (not the price owners would like), before you assume a specific return on investment. A seller that is a company can also run its own company profile on MaszBox, which makes it easier to keep listing rental offers for the same property.

An alternative format worth considering alongside warehouses is containers - a lower financial entry threshold, although a different kind of investment.