Britannia AuctionsBusiness relocation and downsizing sales in Southampton
Freight forwarders and hauliers around the docks move premises more often than most trades. A contract changes, a shed at Nursling comes up with a better yard, or the business shrinks back to one unit at Millbrook after a growth spurt that did not last. The racking, the mezzanine, the pallet trucks and the counterbalance forklifts that filled the old shed are worth weighing against the cost of taking them down and putting them up again.
We sell what stays behind by online timed auction, catalogued in the shed while you are still shipping from it. Marine engineers on the Itchen and aerospace suppliers on the Eastleigh corridor use the same service with a different list, and we treat a boat shed the same way as a distribution unit. The auction closes before the keys go back, and collection runs in the days after.
Racking and mezzanines out of a distribution shed
Racking is the bulk of most relocation sales on the port estates. Wide aisle, narrow aisle, drive in and cantilever systems are all catalogued, by run and by bay, with the buyer dismantling inside the window. We photograph the bays in place, list the frame heights, beam lengths, duty and condition, and give buyers a dismantling window after the auction closes. A mezzanine floor is a bigger job and we discuss early whether it sells as one lot for a buyer to strip, or whether the landlord wants it left.
The mobile kit goes with it. Forklifts, reach trucks, pallet trucks, dock levellers, strapping and wrapping machines, and the office furniture upstairs. Vehicle handling firms add tow tractors and jump packs by the dozen. Totton, Eastleigh, Fareham and Portsmouth are well placed for the viewing day, and the sheds at Adanac Park and Nursling are a short run off the M271 for anyone travelling further.
Boatyards and marine workshops with water on one side
A marine engineer's workshop on the Itchen has one access road and the river at the back. Moving out of one is a planning job before it is a selling job. Lathes, milling machines, welding sets, engine test stands, chandlery stock and the yard's own forklift are all saleable, but a crane lorry cannot always get near the door. We check access when we walk the site and set collection slots so that one vehicle is on the quay at a time.
Boat cradles, trailers, hardstanding kit and pressure washers are used by yards along Southampton Water and around the Solent, and bidding for them is online. Aerospace and precision suppliers at Hedge End and along the Eastleigh corridor bring CNC machines and inspection equipment, which are catalogued for a national audience rather than a local one.
Our advice is to decide early which machines are moving. The sale lots get tagged on the day, and the catalogue goes online while the yard is still working.
What these sales can include
- CNC machine tools
- Presses and press brakes
- Racking and mezzanine floors
- Forklift trucks
- Air compressors
- Workshop tooling and hand tools
- Office furniture and desks
- IT equipment and servers
- Packing and labelling machines
- Welding equipment
- Extraction and dust collection systems
- Vans and light commercial vehicles
How the sale runs
We visit the site, list the lots and photograph them in place. You tell us which items are moving and which are for sale, and we tag the sale lots so there is no confusion on the shop floor.
The catalogue goes online as a timed auction. Bidding stays open for a set period, usually one to two weeks, and each lot closes at a fixed time with an extension if a bid arrives in the last minutes. We hold a viewing day at your premises, and lots are offered as seen under the auction terms, with buyers expected to inspect first.
After the sale we invoice the buyers and take payment. You are paid once the sale is reconciled and the collection window has closed, from cleared funds, less the agreed commission and any agreed costs. Buyers arrange and pay for removal, and our staff attend to release lots against paid invoices.
The business relocation and downsizing sales page covers when a relocation sale makes sense, timing the sale around the move, what to prepare, valuation and reserves, unsold lots and leftovers.
Questions about selling in Southampton
- The new shed is bigger. Should we keep the racking and buy more?
It depends on the age and the match. Racking from a different maker will not bolt to the old frames, and a used system that has been taken down and rebuilt should be inspected before it goes back into service. Where the old racking is old or has damaged uprights, selling it and fitting one new system at the new shed is usually cleaner. Where it is recent and in good order, moving it makes sense. We can look at it and give you a view.
- Our lease at Nursling ends on a quarter day. How far ahead do we need to start?
Six to eight weeks is comfortable. We visit and catalogue first, then run the auction, with the length depending on the number of lots. That leaves a viewing day, a collection window sized to the heavy lots and time to sweep out before the landlord's inspection. It can be done faster if the notice is short, though with less time the catalogue is thinner and buyers have less notice to plan transport. Start the conversation when the move date is set, even if the list of sale lots is not.
More questions about relocation sales
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.
- Selling a commercial vehicle fleet
Fleet sales turn on paperwork as much as on price. This guide covers the V5C, MOT and plating documents, clearing finance before listing, keys and livery, recording mileage and tachograph data, and how to defleet in batches while still trading.