How do I hand over my pottery studio’s member shelf and locker system?

Start with an inventory. Walk the studio and match each shelf or locker to a named member, their contact details, their payment status and the date they started. Photograph the layout. Note anything unlabelled or abandoned, and decide, with the buyer, how those items will be treated before anyone is surprised.

Next, write down the rules members follow: how long work may sit, what happens to pieces left behind, whether fees are charged for extra space and how disputes are settled. If these rules were only ever spoken, put them on paper now and share them with members through a notice. Ask your lawyer how to word the notice and what to say about items nobody collects.

Finally, plan the change itself. Decide who keeps keys, combinations and the member list, and what is changed on the day of transfer. Introduce the new owner to members in person or in a letter, so they see continuity rather than a locked-down system. Walk the buyer through the storage area during a normal week, so they see how busy it actually is and what questions members tend to ask.

Key takeaways

• Match every shelf and locker to a named member, with payment status and start date.
• Write down the rules for uncollected work and share them before the sale.
• Plan who holds keys and codes, and introduce the new owner to members.