When choosing a location for a new carwash, it is important to consider the same factors that customers would. This will help ensure that the business is successful. This article discusses essential things to consider when choosing a site for a carwash. Read on.
Customer Demographics
To determine if a property can perform at a high volume, you should review the current demographics of the property’s one-, three- and five-mile radius. This is the most crucial step. You need a lot of rooftops to create a steady stream of traffic for your carwash.
Zoning
The current zoning will determine if rezoning will be required to open a carwash. If the property is already zoned for commercial use, then no rezoning will be necessary. However, if the property is zoned for residential use, rezoning will be required to open a carwash. Rezoning can be a difficult, time-consuming, and expensive process, so it is vital to research the zoning of a potential property before making any decisions.
Land Area
The size of the property is critical when deciding to build a tunnel car wash. The size should be approximately one acre, and the minimum length in one direction should be 225 feet. This will allow for a 125-foot conveyor.
To build an express exterior car wash, you need a large enough space to accommodate vacuum pads, queuing lanes, and turning radiuses. If you want to develop a flex-service car wash, you need enough room for the post-vacuum and finishing areas. You can build a car wash on less than an acre, but everything will be smaller, and it will be more challenging to operate at a high volume.
Accessibility and Visibility
Make sure your building is visible from the street. People are more likely to go to a business that they can see and is easy to get to. If your business is hidden away or difficult to get to, people are less likely to visit.
Entry Points
The entrance and exit to a property must facilitate high volume traffic to attract customers. If there is a center median that requires vehicles to make a U-turn at the next intersection, this will reduce the number of potential customers visiting the business.
The property’s ingress/egress situation should be analyzed, taking into account whether it is on a service road where the vehicle would have to leave the main street to access the property and then repeat the process to get back on the main street.
Commercial and Residential Communities
It’s important to consider the businesses and residential areas around the property you’re interested in. If the property is located in an industrial area, you may only get the existing traffic on weekdays. But on weekends, when you expect higher volume, the streets could be empty.
You are looking for signs of a neighbourhood’s socioeconomic status. Anecdotally, a neighbourhood’s socioeconomic status can be determined by the type of housing, how well-kept the houses are, and the types of cars parked on the street.
Competition
To build an express exterior carwash, you need to research the other carwashes in the area. Make sure to look at carwashes that are not service stations or self-serve washes. You also need to consider if the existing full-serves could convert to an express or flex-serve. Lastly, check to see any express locations within the marketing area.
In order to determine if there is too much competition for the population in a given area, you must first find out how many tunnel washes are in the area. Once you have that number, divide it into the area’s population. If the result is less than 35 thousand, then there is too much competition for the people.
Site Expenses
The amount of money you’ll have to spend on your property or lease every month is essential to consider when you’re budgeting for your business.
If a site is expected to generate high volume, it is worth paying more to get the property or agreeing to a higher monthly rental. The extra amount you pay for the property will spread over many years of operation.
Conclusion
When choosing a carwash site, it is crucial to consider the location, type of carwash, and cost. The most important factor is the location, as it will determine how convenient the carwash is for customers. The type of carwash is also essential, as it will determine the quality of the wash. Finally, the cost of the carwash is also an important consideration.
Are you looking for carwash builders? Turn to CCW Solutions. We build and design car washes for the Canadian industry. Our process begins at the idea phase, but we will take you through all the required stages to build your dream car wash. Whether you are looking to build a car wash or want to buy equipment, we will help you meet your needs. Call us!
