Britannia AuctionsComplete site dispersal auctions in Middlesbrough
A fabrication shop on Riverside Park or Cannon Park is a heavy sale. Plate rollers, section benders, a press brake and a guillotine, a row of welding sets, an overhead crane running the length of the bay, and a yard with a mobile crane and a couple of flatbeds. Teesside firms of this kind grow on process plant and offshore contracts, and when the contracts stop or the owner retires, everything on the site has to go.
We sell it as one online timed auction. The catalogue covers the shop floor, the yard, the stores and the offices, and the auction closes on a date you choose with the landlord or the administrator. Buyers pay us, then collect in an agreed window. They arrange their own riggers, and we attend to let lots go only when they have been paid for.
The trade that runs this kind of plant sits close by, and bidding runs online and is open to buyers from any part of the country.
Welding sets, rolls and the yard outside
Fabrication plant is judged on capacity and condition, so that is what the catalogue gives. The firms in Stockton, Billingham, Hartlepool and Darlington that run the same kit are well placed to come and look before bidding closes, where they can see for themselves whether a machine has been looked after. We sell each machine as a single lot with its tooling. Welding sets go in pairs or small groups by type, because a shop buying MIG sets wants several at once.
The yard is often a large part of the catalogue. Mobile cranes, telehandlers, flatbed trailers, welding bays on skids and site cabins all sell, and they leave under their own power or on a low loader without touching the building. Offshore contractors hold test equipment, certified lifting gear, containerised workshops and spares, which are listed with their test and calibration dates.
Scrap is dealt with last. Anything that does not sell as a lot can be weighed out to a processor, where that is agreed.
Weights, foundations and the route out for each lot
The estates along the Tees were laid out for heavy plant, but what a particular unit allows is a question for the first visit. Whether there is room to set crane outriggers beside the building, what the door opening and the floor will take, and how a ten tonne press brake or a plate roll reaches the road, all go in the lot notes so buyers can price the lift before they bid. The A66 and the A19 flyover take the load out to the A1(M) without a trip through the town.
Overhead cranes are usually agreed as the last lots to leave, so the shop can be loaded before they come down, and their removal needs the landlord's agreement about the building.
Process and chemical workshops at Wilton or near Teesport add pumps, valves, instruments and stainless pipework, which sell in lots by type and leave by van.
What these sales can include
- Complete production lines
- CNC lathes and machining centres
- Presses, guillotines and folders
- Overhead cranes and hoists
- Compressors and air receivers
- Forklift trucks
- Racking and storage systems
- Tooling, spares and consumables
- Inspection and test equipment
- Welding and fabrication equipment
- Office furniture and IT equipment
- Canteen and welfare equipment
- Vehicles and trailers
The auction
The sale runs as an online timed auction, open for bidding for a fixed period with a viewing day at the site before the close. Lots close in sequence, and a late bid extends the closing time for that lot so nobody is beaten by the clock. Bidders register online, and the sale is advertised to the trade for that type of equipment.
Lots are offered as seen under the auction terms, and buyers are expected to inspect before bidding. The buyer pays the hammer price plus a buyer's premium, with VAT charged where it applies and shown separately on the invoice. Once paid, the buyer collects within the agreed window. Our staff are on site throughout collection to check off each lot and control access.
For very large sites the sale may be split into two or more auctions, so the building empties in stages and production can continue in one area while another is cleared.
The complete site dispersal auctions page covers what a site dispersal involves, preparing the site, removal and heavy lifting, timescales and what to expect.
Questions about selling in Middlesbrough
- We are still finishing a contract when the landlord wants the site back. Can the sale overlap with the last job?
Yes, and it often does. We catalogue the plant that is idle first and list the machines still in use with a note that they are working. Buyers like to see a press brake or a roll under power at the viewing. The auction closes after your last delivery leaves, and the collection window starts straight after. The one rule is that nothing on the catalogue leaves the site or gets moved without telling us.
- Our lifting gear and welding sets have test certificates. Does that make a difference?
It does. A current test certificate lets a buyer put the gear to work without arranging a retest, and that is one of the things weighed in a bid. We list the certificate dates in the lot description and keep the paperwork with the item for collection. Welding sets with calibration records get the same treatment. If the certificates have lapsed, we say so, and the buyer prices the retest in.
More questions about site dispersals
Related services
Guides
- Auction or private treaty: which route to choose
Auction gives you a fixed date and an open market. Private treaty gives you a negotiated price and privacy. This guide sets out when each route suits, what you give up with each, and why many sales use both.
- 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.
- What insolvency practitioners need from an auctioneer
For office holders realising physical assets. Covers the instruction letter, the asset schedule and valuation basis, retention of title, finance checks, site security, health and safety during the sale, and the reconciliation you need for the file.