Britannia AuctionsBusiness closure auctions in Cardiff
A builders merchant or a contractor's depot at Wentloog does not close quietly. There is a yard of aggregates, timber, blocks and drainage, a warehouse of fixings and tools, a fleet of vans and a forklift or two, and a landlord who wants the whole site back level and empty. The stock can be worth more than the equipment, and it is the part most likely to be cleared cheaply under time pressure.
We take it all into one online timed auction. Bidding is open nationally, and the trade in Newport, Bridgend, Caerphilly and Barry is close enough to inspect the lots before the sale closes. We check the roads, the gates and the turning space at Wentloog or Capital Business Park before we plan the collection days.
Studio and media businesses in the Bay are the other side of our work here, and that kit sells to a different set of buyers again. Tell us what you have and the date you need to be out.
Yard stock sells where it stands
Bulky stock does not need moving before the sale. We lot aggregates by the bay, timber by the pack, blocks and bricks by the pallet and drainage by the run, and we photograph them where they sit. Buyers view on the day, bid online and arrange their own flatbeds and hiabs. What this kind of stock brings depends on the quantity, the condition, how it is lotted and what it costs a buyer to load and move, and we give you a view on that before you commit.
The warehouse is lotted in the same way, by product line, so that a plumber can bid on the copper and a joiner on the ironmongery. Vans sell in the same sale with the V5 and any finance settled first.
Plant hire and contractors' yards on Lamby Way and around Tremorfa follow the pattern. Excavators, compactors, telehandlers and site cabins leave under their own power or on a low loader, and the workshop and stores sell behind them.
Studio kit and edit suites sell to a different crowd
Media businesses in the Bay close with a different kind of inventory. Cameras, lenses, lighting, grip, sound kit and the edit suites and servers behind them are all lotted, and the trades that use them are production companies, hire firms, colleges and freelancers rather than the local building trade. Bids are placed online and the sale is open to bidders anywhere in the UK, so the catalogue has to do the work. We list serial numbers, hours, firmware and shutter counts where they exist, photograph each item with its case and accessories, and lot small items in sets so that nothing is left in a drawer.
Studio fixtures such as lighting grids, cyc walls, acoustic treatment and desks sell too, with the buyer to remove.
Because these lots are small and high value, it can make sense to collect the kit and sell it from our own premises. That frees the unit early, which matters when a Bay lease has a fixed end and the landlord has the next tenant lined up.
What these sales can include
- Production machinery
- Finished goods and raw materials
- Warehouse racking
- Forklifts and handling equipment
- Vans, trucks and trailers
- Office furniture and computers
- Workshop tools and benches
- Compressors and site services
- Catering equipment
- Retail fittings and display units
- Vehicle lifts
- Packaging machinery
How we run the sale
We visit, agree the scope and catalogue the lots on site. Everything from the main machines down to the contents of the stores can be included. Small items are grouped into sensible lots so that nothing is left behind.
The sale runs online as a timed auction. Bidders register, view the lots on a set viewing day at your premises, and bid until the closing time. Lots close in sequence, and a late bid extends the closing time on that lot.
Buyers pay the hammer price plus the buyer's premium, with VAT charged where it applies and shown separately on the invoice. They pay us, and you are paid once the sale is reconciled and the collection window has closed, from cleared funds. The auction terms set out what happens if a buyer does not pay or collect. The details for your sale are explained when we discuss it.
The business closure auctions page covers closure sales and the pressure of the date, who needs to agree before you sell, stock, records and the things people forget, collection, clearance and the empty building, when a closure sale is not the answer.
Questions about selling in Cardiff
- Some of the aggregate and timber in the yard is on sale or return from the supplier. Can it go in?
Not without the supplier's agreement. Sale or return stock and anything held under retention of title belongs to the supplier until paid for, and they will usually collect it or agree a settlement from the proceeds. Sort out which bays and packs are affected before we catalogue, and we will keep them apart or list them with the supplier's consent in writing. Everything you have paid for is yours to sell.
- Our studio kit is spread between a unit in the Bay and a van. Can it be collected and sold from your premises?
Yes, and for small high value equipment that is often the better route. We collect the kit, check it against your asset list, photograph and catalogue it at our own premises and run the sale from there. You hand the unit back as soon as it is empty rather than waiting for buyers to collect. The van can be sold in the same auction, and we can arrange for it to be driven to us with the last load.
More questions about closure auctions
Related services
Guides
- Closing a business: a timeline for selling the assets
Work backwards from the day you hand the site over. This guide covers lease end and dilapidations, when to instruct, when staff should leave, when to keep the power on, and how to leave enough room for collection and making good.