Going from a van to a unit is the biggest step most detailers take. It changes what you can charge, what work you can accept and how customers see you. It also adds fixed costs that do not care whether you had a quiet month.
This is the checklist we wish every new unit had before signing.
Before you sign the lease
Power
Ask what supply comes into the unit and get it in writing. Single phase at a modest rating will limit you if you plan on running a compressor, heating, extraction and lighting together. Upgrading a supply after the fact is expensive and slow.
Water and drainage
The question is not whether there is a tap. It is whether you are legally permitted to discharge wash water, and whether an interceptor is required. Get this confirmed by the landlord and, if in doubt, the local water authority. Units have been signed and then found unusable for wash work because of this.
Ceiling height and structure
Measure it. Note where the steels, ducting and shutter mechanism sit, because those dictate where lighting can physically go. A 5m ceiling is great for vehicle access and means you will need to suspend lighting lower to get useful light at panel height.
Access
Can a low car get in without grounding on the threshold? Can a van turn in the yard? Is there parking for customers or does every collection become a logistics problem?
Lease terms
Specifically: can you fix things to the walls and ceiling, do you have to reinstate at the end, what is the break clause, and who is responsible for the roof. Ask about business rates and whether small business relief applies.
Neighbours and hours
Compressors and pressure washers at seven in the morning cause complaints. Check what hours you are allowed to operate.
The first month checklist
- Insurance in place, including motor trade cover for driving and storing customer vehicles, plus public liability and contents
- Electrical installation inspected and certified
- Floor sorted, because it is the messiest job and everything else happens on top of it
- Lighting fitted, in layers, on separate switches
- Storage run installed so chemicals come off the floor
- Fire extinguishers, first aid kit and a COSHH file
- Security, alarm and camera coverage, which your insurer will likely require
- Signage and a Google Business listing with the new address
What changes about the work itself
Two things surprise most people making this move.
You can suddenly see everything. Working outdoors means light you do not control. In a properly lit unit with a ceiling grid and tunnel lighting, defects you previously never saw become obvious. That is good, but it will slow your first few jobs down while you recalibrate what finished looks like.
The job list changes. Multi stage correction and ceramic coating need controlled conditions, so a unit opens up higher value work. Price accordingly. If you carry mobile pricing into a unit you will not cover the rent.
Lighting the unit: the short version
Three layers, three switches.
- Ceiling: even, diffused, shadow free. This is the light you work in.
- Wall or tunnel at panel height: your inspection layer for reading flanks.
- Handheld: for close work no fixed fitting reaches.
Specify CRI 90 or above for the correction bay, cool colour temperature between 5000K and 6500K, and appropriate IP ratings anywhere near water. If the ceiling is high, suspend the grid rather than buying extra panels to fight the distance.
Mistakes new units make
- Spending everything on equipment and nothing on the building. Your polisher does not change how the unit looks to a customer standing in it.
- One switch for everything. Being unable to turn the ceiling off removes your best inspection technique.
- Black walls everywhere. Looks incredible, eats light, means buying more fittings.
- No customer area. Even a clean corner with two chairs converts collections into upsells.
- Keeping mobile prices. Fixed costs change the maths entirely.
- Not telling anyone. Update every listing, every profile and every previous customer. Your existing client base is your first month's revenue.
Keep the van
Plenty of detailers keep a scaled back mobile offering for maintenance clients while the unit builds up its book. It smooths cash flow through the first quarter and costs you nothing you do not already own.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I budget?
For a lean single bay fit out where the building already has adequate power and drainage, roughly £6,000 to £10,000 on top of deposit and rent. See our full cost breakdown for the detail.
What should I fit first?
Floor, then electrics, then lighting, then storage. Doing lighting before flooring means working around fittings you have just installed.
Do I need planning permission?
Usually not if the unit already has an appropriate use class, but check with the local authority, particularly if you plan on signage or any external alterations.
Fitting out a unit? Send us your dimensions for a lighting spec, browse flooring and storage