TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 (edited) Hey folks, Thought i'd put this one to the group. We're looking into getting a private space to practice/rehearse and ideally store some bits of kit. Basically we're racking up about £40 a session at the practice rooms (we can only afford two a week at that rate) - and we're needing to do a lot more hours, which sometimes can't be catered for and even if they could its going to quite expensive. It wouldn't be so bad if there was maybe somewhere with good equipment, but there ain't. I think as well we're needing somewhere that won't restrict us and we can work on our own sound a bit more. I'm sure a lot of you will have your own spaces. So, I'm just wanting to know roughly how much you're paying/what the space is like, pros cons etc Cheers Jamie Edit: Apols in advance if i've gone and put this in the wrong place! Edited October 5, 2009 by TheButler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Can't help you with rates for private practice space, Jamie, but I know a bit about property. Try this for size: You're doing two sessions a week @ £40 per session = £80 per week = £4000 per annum. Cheap industrial space can be had for less than £5 pSF ([i]i.e. £5 per annum per Square Foot[/i]), especially in the current economy. A small unit on an industrial estate might be 1000 SF, so that would be <£5000 p.a. in rent, but + rates + utilities. Call it £6000 p.a. all-up. 1000 SF is a room 50' x 20' which is plenty large enough for any band to rehearse in, and you could use it as often as you liked without increasing the cost. You could also consider allowing friends to use it, subject to suitable [b][i][u]unofficial [/u][/i][/b]remuneration. [b]WARNING! WARNING! DANGER! DANGER! [color="#FF0000"]What you could NOT do is rent it to the general public as a rehearsal space.[/color][/b] You may not find what you want, you may not like the price, you very probably won't want to sign a lease, but it's worth thinking about. Don't do ANYTHING without talking to a lawyer first. I mean it about the lawyer. No, I mean I REALLY mean it about the lawyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 Thats very much appreciated information. Would've taken ages to find that kinda stuff elsewhere. We'll keep looking, and grudgingly pay the money for practice rooms mean time. The 2 session a week thing is simply because we can't afford to do more. If we had our own space i imagine it would be much easier and ultimately pay-off in the long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born 2B Mild Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 If you're trying to get a market price feel for comparing elsewhere, I can give you the heads-up for Harrogate. We pay £30 for an evening, for a fully equipped room. That's EVERYTHING except the instruments (includes drums though) . There's at least four places we can hire at that price in a three mile radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 We've been making do with practice rooms, and the prices aren't astronomical (that £40 is at peak time and for 4 hours btw) but we're slowly just getting tired of the sub-standard equipment that either sounds crap or doesn't work at all. We're also wanting to actually work on our live sound, which is difficult to do without your own gear there. Okay, so a lot of places let you store gear and stuff - but it usually costs unless you're in tight with the owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 £6 an hour for practice rooms with PA and mics in Leeds, but we generally use a Cricket Club Tea Room for a tenner a night.....but bring our own PA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetiser Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 It might be worth looking at flats to rent in certain areas where noise isn't a problem and then just moving flat and moving all your gear into the living room or whatever. Maybe not ideal in terms of space / acoustics but could work out cheap! My mate's band rehearses at the drummer's place. He stays in a flat just above the caves and because the club is directly below they can belt it out at any level they please at any time. Not quite sure how it works with neighbours etc though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 £8 ph down here, includes PA and limited backline but not drums.. One is in a downtime studio so prety organised with a kitchen ..then other is a music school with 2 rooms and the same sort of kit... Both could probably store but not on a commercial basis... so not worth talking about and not sure about security anway. Unless the room is locked etc and insured, I wouldn't do this..and if it was all those things, it wouldn't be cheap.. J Henry does this sort of thing in London but not sure of the rates... I'd look for a unused commercial building out of town, on a farm or something and have a private cash arrangement over a period of time so you could pay up front and renew as and when.. But I don't think you can do this sort of thing CHEAP cheap.. You might just about get a better arrangement for the same sort of costs you pay atm... when all things are taken into consideration.. but...£50 pw must be attractive to someone with an old room..especially if you could commit to about 6 months rates up front..I'd have thought.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Not really on topic, but do you really need to practice for more than 8 hours a week? That's a lot of practice hours! £10 an hour for a fully equipped room sounds pretty good though. I've used a lot of places that charge £10 an hour just for the room and PA, then any backline or drums/cymbals are extra per hour, but they were good rooms with fairly decent equipment. Obviously it would be ideal to have your own space though, and I'd have thought that you'd be able to find something for around what you're paying already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='JTUK' post='617632' date='Oct 5 2009, 04:36 PM']I'd look for a unused commercial building out of town, on a farm or something and have a private cash arrangement over a period of time so you could pay up front and renew as and when..[/quote] This is a good idea - but beware - comm prems and farms sometimes have 3-phase electricity supply, and you may need an additional 240v consumer unit to power amps etc. Worth confirming this with the 'landlord' and maybe even get a mate who's a sparks to check the 'leccy before you sign any deals. Speaking from recent experience, farms can be funny places when it comes to electrical maintenance, HSE etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='benwhiteuk' post='617661' date='Oct 5 2009, 05:02 PM']Not really on topic, but do you really need to practice for more than 8 hours a week? That's a lot of practice hours![/quote] We're looking at doubling that... I think a farm would be quite cool, i used to live on one actually. We had barns and a pottery. Damn, that would've been good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 where are you practicing? there are some places with nice gear for similar prices ive used in the burgh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='TheButler' post='617810' date='Oct 5 2009, 07:01 PM']We're looking at doubling that...[/quote] 16 hours?! Now that's some serious practising! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='617818' date='Oct 5 2009, 07:05 PM']where are you practicing? there are some places with nice gear for similar prices ive used in the burgh[/quote] Tried coloursound, gjsm, horizon, banana row recently. Not a fan of any for one reason or another. I think its whats necessary - i am a god awful player after all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='TheButler' post='617829' date='Oct 5 2009, 07:15 PM']Tried coloursound, gjsm, horizon, banana row recently. Not a fan of any for one reason or another. I think its whats necessary - i am a god awful player after all [/quote] tried verden? ive used them a few times. funny place but they may be able to do what your after? they seem to have a studio there available for private hire acording to the website. and all the porta' buses terminate just outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 and you really need to practice for 16 hours a week? that's mental, what on earth kind of music are you trying to play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitchy64 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Here in Crewe we pay £20 from 5pm till 11pm. It's got full recording gear, fridge for beers, microwave,sofa,full PA and use of a drum kit if needed. Check out www.barn4bands.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheButler Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 [quote name='LukeFRC' post='617877' date='Oct 5 2009, 07:59 PM']and you really need to practice for 16 hours a week? that's mental, what on earth kind of music are you trying to play?[/quote] Post-rock-ish. Mogwai with Portishead... kinda. Its difficult, because i've joined like a few weeks ago and have 10 songs to learn. I've nailed 6 or 7 thus far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Where we practice it's £25 for 2 hours. Which makes it more expensive than the OP's deal (£12.50 p/h vs. £10 p/h) That includes drums, amps and PA. Used to include table tennis too but they're getting rid of that By the looks of things here, it's more pricey than most. Still it's only a fiver each, being a 5 piece band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thommorphus Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 My band and I rent an old bomb shelter in Lancashire, we rent a small underground unit (15ft x 20ft) for £48 per week and we can have it from 5pm till 5am!!! Look at small Industrial estates in small towns. We have all electric, heating and 24hr security thrown in too, also able to use it everyday. We even showed up a on Christmas day a few years back and they let us in, bargain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 OK, that's cool! Is it nuclear-hardened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thommorphus Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 It smells like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted October 6, 2009 Share Posted October 6, 2009 Have a look for a struggling industrial estate with a friendly landlord. That's how we got our practice WAREHOUSE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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