How do I sell a records storage business when client boxes stay in the warehouse?

When you sell a records storage company, the shelves do not move. The boxes stay where they are, but responsibility for them changes hands. That makes the sale partly a paperwork exercise: a buyer will want to see the system and the client base shown clearly. Starting early leaves time to fix problems.

Count first, so the buyer’s count matches yours

Reconcile the index against the shelves well before a buyer arrives. Find boxes that are shelved but not indexed, indexed but not found, or mislabelled. Correct them and keep a note of what you did. A buyer who spots a gap on the first walk-through will wonder what else is off, and one honest reconciliation is easier to defend than a surprise.

Which agreements can move

Go through the client agreements and mark those that can be assigned freely and those that need the client’s consent. Ask your lawyer to review the large accounts and any old or unsigned arrangements. Our page on what belongs in a purchase agreement shows where these matters usually surface in the deal.

Telling clients

Decide with your buyer when clients hear about the sale, who tells them and what the message says. Clients are trusting you with sensitive paper, and a plain, early explanation of who will hold their boxes tends to go better than a letter that arrives after the fact. Your lawyer can advise on what notice or consent is needed.

Dormant accounts and closing day

• List boxes on unpaid or dormant accounts, and note what each agreement says about them.
• Do not destroy or move anything to tidy up before the sale without the client’s instruction.
• Agree how custody is recorded at closing, so there is no moment when nobody is responsible.
• Keep a copy of the final index and the signed handover.