Land is scarce
Large commercially usable sites with suitable planning consent are available only to a limited extent in many regions. This makes existing, permitted sites attractive to users and investors.
Asset classes · Outdoor storage
Light industrial, outdoor storage & container terminals
Fox Capital advises owners, companies and operators on the sale and financing of large storage and open sites from 20,000 sqm – for vehicles, cranes, materials and containers through to container terminals.
Fox Capital GmbH is an independent, owner-managed advisory firm for real estate transactions, financing, corporate finance and M&A. Within light industrial and logistics, this page focuses on properties where the usable outdoor area, not the building, is at the centre. Internationally, this segment is often referred to as industrial outdoor storage (IOS).
We advise on sites and properties from a plot size of 20,000 sqm and a transaction volume from EUR 10m – as single assets, portfolios, sale-and-lease-backs or operator sales, off-market or in a structured bidding process.
Open sites are judged on different criteria than conventional warehouses: paving and load capacity, access and connections, planning consent for storage use, environmental issues and the agreements with users or operators. We prepare these points so that buyers can review them efficiently.
What we look at first
- Plot size, shape and share of paved area
- Load capacity and drainage of the open areas
- Planning status and permits for storage and handling use
- Connection to motorway, rail or waterway
- Contamination, soil condition and environmental conditions
- Agreements with users or operators: term, indexation, termination rights
Key figures
- Plot size
- from 20,000 sqm
- Transaction volume
- from EUR 10m
- Assets
- Open storage, depots, terminals, light industrial
- Typical buyers
- Specialist funds, infrastructure investors, family offices, strategics
- Marketing
- Off-market or bidding process
Value drivers
What moves the price here
Planning and permits
Whether a site is permanently permitted for storage, handling or a container depot determines its third-party usability. Unclear permit situations lengthen due diligence; the legal assessment of an individual case belongs with qualified lawyers. German planning law applies to sites in Germany.
Connections and logistics
Short distances to the motorway, a rail siding or a quay widen the range of potential users. For container terminals, multimodal connectivity is the central value driver.
Paving and infrastructure
Load-bearing surfaces, drainage, fencing, lighting and access control are prerequisites for many uses. Their condition feeds directly into the valuation.
Contract and operator structure
Long-term agreements with creditworthy users stabilise income. For terminals, the operating result is added; property and operations should be presented separately.
Development potential
Large sites often offer scope for halls, photovoltaics or later conversion. Documented options are an additional argument for buyers.
Process
How a sale runs in this segment
- Step 01
Site and asset review
Document site plan, area breakdown, paving, access, permits and agreements.
- Step 02
Valuation and positioning
Valuation based on income, location, planning status and third-party usability; definition of the right buyer universe.
- Step 03
Structuring
Asset or share deal, sale-and-lease-back or operator sale – coordinated with your tax and legal advisers.
- Step 04
Discreet approach
Targeted approach to investors and users whose acquisition profile matches size, use and location.
- Step 05
Data room and due diligence
Structured data room with reports, agreements and permits; management of the buyers' review.
- Step 06
Negotiation and closing
Comparison of offers by price, proof of funding and conditions through to signing.
From practice
What we see in real deals
Commission the soil report early
For sites in long-term commercial use, soil condition is one of the first questions in due diligence. An existing report removes uncertainty from the negotiation.
Fully document the permit situation
Buyers check whether the actual use is covered by permits. Gaps should be known and assessed before marketing starts.
State areas clearly
Plot area, paved area and built area belong separately in the documentation. Blanket figures lead to queries and discounts.
Owner-occupiers: consider sale-and-lease-back
Companies using large storage sites themselves can release capital and stay on site. The achievable price depends largely on the term and covenant of the lease.
Questions
What owners ask us
The points owners raise before a mandate — answered the way we would in a first call.
What is industrial outdoor storage?
Industrial outdoor storage (IOS) refers to commercial sites whose value derives mainly from the paved outdoor area – for example for storing vehicles, construction equipment, materials or containers. Buildings are usually present only to a limited extent.
From what size do you advise on storage sites?
On this page we focus on sites from 20,000 sqm and a transaction volume from EUR 10m.
Do you also advise on container terminals?
Yes. For terminals we look at property, handling equipment and operations together and approach investors who actually acquire in this segment.
Who buys such sites?
Depending on the asset, specialist funds, infrastructure investors, family offices, logistics companies and strategic users come into consideration.
Do you also support financing?
Yes. For the acquisition, refinancing or development of large storage and open sites, we arrange suitable financing partners. Fox Capital acts as adviser, not as a capital provider.
Uses
Which storage and open sites we advise on
Vehicle storage
Parking and handling yards for cars, commercial vehicles and new vehicles, for example for manufacturers, dealers, rental companies or vehicle logistics providers.
Cranes and construction equipment
Paved yards with high load-bearing capacity for cranes, aerial work platforms and plant, often combined with workshop and office buildings.
Material and building supplies storage
Open storage for building materials, steel, pipes or bulk goods, supplemented by halls for weather-sensitive goods.
Container yards and depots
Empty and full container depots, parking for swap bodies and trailers, and repair and cleaning areas.
Container terminals
Handling facilities on rail, inland waterway or road with crane runways, rail sidings and an operator structure.
Light industrial with open land
Commercial and production properties where the outdoor area accounts for a significant part of the use and value.
Documents
Which documents buyers need
- ›Site plan with area breakdown: plot, paved area, halls, office and welfare buildings
- ›Details on paving, load-bearing capacity of the open areas and drainage
- ›Planning status and permits, including use and operating permits
- ›Contamination and soil reports, and environmental conditions
- ›Lease or operator agreements with terms, indexation and termination provisions
- ›Access: driveways, connection to road, rail or waterway, gates
- ›For terminals: handling equipment, rail and quay facilities, operating results and maintenance history
- ›Security and fire protection concept, fencing, lighting and access control
Asset classes
What we cover
We advise on real estate and corporate transactions from EUR 20m across Europe, with a clear focus on the DACH region. Every asset class has its own buyer universe – these are the segments we work in most often.
Thinking about selling in this asset class?
Send us the key figures — you get an honest read on price and buyer universe.