Magic Wand Car Wash Systems

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Site Selection

Once you find suitable business areas, you must then try to locate a few choice sites within those areas. Sites may be rented, leased, or purchased. In this section, you'll learn the advantages and drawbacks of potential car wash sites.

What Type Should I Consider?

There are four basic location types, as indicated below.

Stands on Thoroughfare
Stands Close to Downtown Stores
Stands Near Outlying Stores
Stands in Proximity to a Shopping Center

All of the above are good locations, but if you choose a location that lacks adjacent business, you may have to spend extra time, effort, and money on frequent promotions and advertising. If you choose a shopping center because of its adjacent retail business, the rent may be prohibitive.

As a general rule, excellent locations can be found in neighborhoods where there are many families with children. Good locations can also be found in shopping centers or near supermarkets, drugstores, and schools. Corner locations with good parking have considerable merit as well.

How Many Bays Will My Site Accommodate?

An ideal lot is one that allows the facility to face the main street, but depending on lot dimensions, it can be placed at any angle.

There should be at least 20' of paved area on each side of the finished building. We recommend the following lot sizes, however, you may be able to use a much smaller piece of property. No "set back" requirements are included in these sizes.

2-Bay Facility 110' x 60'
3-Bay Facility 110' x 76'
4-Bay Facility 110' x 100'
5-Bay Facility 110' x 125'
6-Bay Facility 110' x 141'
7-Bay Facility 110' x 157'
8-Bay Facility 110' x 173'
10-Bay Facility 110' x 190'

What is a Reasonable Price to Pay for the Property?

We use a general formula to determine reasonable land cost. You can usually expect to pay $16,000 per self-serve bay. If the location is designed to accommodate an automatic unit, an additional $50,000 can be expected. In other words, if you are building a 3-bay self-serve with 1 automatic unit, you could anticipate investing $98,000 for the property.