Secure caravan and motorhome storage yard
Lease a block of land and run a gated, camera-monitored yard with dozens of bays for caravans and motorhomes.
- A$100k-400k
- Part-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.
What it is
A purpose-built storage yard on leased industrial or rural-edge land. It has marked bays, secure fencing, lighting, cameras and keypad or card access, and some sites add covered bays or a small shed.
Your first three steps
- Scout land near caravan parks, holiday routes and suburbs with strict parking rules, and check the zoning with the council
- Talk to your council about development approval and cost out fencing, surfacing, lighting, cameras and access control
- Build a simple financial plan with a bay count, price per bay and a realistic fill rate, and talk to an accountant or lender before signing a lease
Who pays
Caravan and motorhome owners in the surrounding suburbs and towns, including grey nomads and holiday travellers who store between trips, as well as owners of boats and trailers if your approval allows.
How it makes money
Monthly or annual fees per bay, with higher prices for covered or longer bays. Extras can include access fees, battery charging or wash-down bays.
Skills that help
- Managing a site and its bookings
- Customer service
- Budgeting and basic property or lease management
- Organising security and maintenance
Watch out for
- The start-up estimate assumes leased land and covers approvals, surfacing, fencing, lighting, cameras and access control; buying land would cost far more and is not included
- Development approval and conditions, such as stormwater, landscaping and traffic, which vary by council and state
- Lease terms, including length, rent reviews and any permitted uses
- Public liability, property and possibly business interruption insurance, and how customers' vehicles are covered
- Security risks such as theft and vandalism, so invest in good lighting and cameras
- Workers compensation insurance and employment rules if you hire staff
- Slow early filling of bays, so make sure you can cover rent and loan repayments in the meantime
Deep research report · Australia
Everything you need to start: secure caravan and motorhome storage yard
Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a caravan storage yard?
Startup costs are estimates, typically around $100,000 to $400,000, depending on approvals, surfacing, fencing, lighting, cameras and access control. The estimate assumes leased land, so buying land would cost far more and is not included.
How much revenue can a secure storage yard make?
Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on the number of bays, your fees and how quickly they fill. Bays can fill slowly at first, so ensure you can cover rent and loan repayments in the meantime.
What approvals and rules apply to a storage yard?
Check development approval and conditions such as stormwater, landscaping and traffic, which vary by council and state. Also check lease terms including length, rent reviews and permitted uses, insurance and how customers' vehicles are covered, and employment rules and workers compensation if you hire.
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