So, you’ve found the perfect industrial space for your business. It has a great, well-connected location and plenty of space to work with. What comes next?

For many companies, a warehouse’s fit-out stage is just as important as identifying the right space. After all, this will be your business’s home for the foreseeable future, so it needs to suit all the different processes and operations that will be happening day to day.

The trouble is, fitting out a warehouse can be quite a daunting prospect. There are lots of different factors to consider, and it’s crucial to address each of them to avoid any costly reorganisations further down the road.

In this article, we take you through the most important parts of fitting out a new warehouse.

Plan your warehouse layout first

Before you invest in any equipment, start moving your stock in, or installing dedicated workspaces, take a step back and really establish your floor plan. You should already be thinking about your fit-out when you’re considering different options. Once you have a favourite, start focusing on how it will work for you and your business.

This means more than just measuring out room for different pieces of machinery or working out how many people you’ll be having on-site. Fitting out a warehouse is a great opportunity to make the space as efficient for business operations as possible. This also requires factoring in utilities like water and power, as well as ventilation and the outdoor-to-indoor flow of people and goods.

Once you’ve got a clear list of everything you need and a better understanding of your space, you’ll be in a much better position to put the right things in the right places.

Consider future storage space

One of the most common mistakes made when renting warehouses is underestimating the amount of storage you’ll actually need. Part of moving to a new premises is giving yourself room to grow in the future, so don’t just think about right now. 

Consider where your business might be in a few years and predict future warehouse storage requirements so you’re not left short. For example, you could start thinking about room for future shelving or loading space to ship out even more pallets of your products.

You may also want to consider the cost and availability of any specialist storage equipment that you might need. This could be as simple as installing a higher racking setup, or something more niche like temperature controls.

Create dedicated warehouse work zones

A warehouse can be so much more than just a space for storage and production. You’ll also likely need dedicated office areas for admin and other key processes, as well as spots for your team to relax and take breaks.

One of the keys to an efficient, well-organised warehouse is ensuring everybody has enough space to do their job. Take time to work out how many people are likely to be in each zone of the building at any one time, and plan your fit-out accordingly.

Save through sustainability

The fit-out stage is also a great opportunity to lower energy costs in your warehouse. You could consider installing more LED lighting, heating, and ventilation systems that are cheaper to run, without sacrificing performance.

Electric vehicle charging points are another great investment. If EVs are part of your business model now, or may be in the future, making sure they’re installed should be at the top of your to-do list.

Sustainability is a long term process, so you won’t necessarily need to do everything at once. However, identifying areas of improvement before you move in or start refitting can help you prioritise the best cost savers. It’ll be much more disruptive to do this once you’ve got operations up and running, and you’ll save more by starting on a more sustainable footing.

Prioritise health and safety

When fitting a warehouse, you will need to make sure it meets relevant health and safety compliance standards. Not only will this keep your business and employees protected, it will usually be a lease requirement as well. This isn’t just a matter of putting up health and safety signs or sharing a few tips. To avoid on-site disasters and crippling penalties, your compliance checklist will need to be thorough.

There are dedicated rules and regulations you’ll need to comply with. The best place to look for these is the UK Health and Safety Executive website, which has a range of helpful resources, including:

• Health and safety made simple: The basics for your business
• Equipment and machinery safety
• How to manage health and safety

Making sure that the warehouse can accommodate all necessary safety measures will help ensure that you can meet your obligations and protect your people.

Consider your warehouse racking setup

While we don’t need to go into the purpose of warehouse racking, it can be worth putting serious thought into your setup. On inspection, you may find you have substantial space in the new warehouse for higher racks to take full advantage of your new property. There may even be more efficient or specialised designs to help you maximise both storage and safety.

Needless to say, safety will always be key when it comes to your warehouse storage system. Take your time and ask about the previous setup at the new warehouse, or prepare a safety system checklist in advance to make sure a new premises can meet your needs.

Finding the right warehouse

Fit outs are great ways to transform warehouse spaces into tailor made homes for your business. All you need to do first is find the right property. 

Mileway offers commercial properties throughout the UK, as well as the rest of Europe. We can guide you to your ideal warehouse in terms of size, location, capabilities, and more. Contact Mileway today to get started.

FAQs

What are zones within a warehouse?

Zones in a warehouse are areas designated for different activities. These could include:

• Loading and unloading
• Machinery and equipment
• Office space
• Shelves and racking
• Outdoor storage
• Bulk storage
• Climate-controlled storage

Having designated warehouse zones as part of your layout will help facilitate your daily operations and keep employees safe. It can also be key for meeting compliance targets for sustainability, safety, and insurance.