What do you look for in a Space?

[smopo24]

Besides the obvious (cost, amount of space, etc), what do you think are good questions to ask/things to investigate before moving in? Any tips or hard lessons learned?

[GearJunkie]

- Electricity. If it is gonna shock the living hell out of you or not.
- Pipes. The practice space next to mine flooded and all of their gear was destroyed because the pipes above them had exploded.
- Locks and security. Who other than the band would have keys to your space? What kind of locks are on the front door? Has the building been broken into before
- Heat/AC. OH MY GOD this is important. My old practice space we had to buy two space heaters and someone had to show up an hour before practice to turn them on so that it was warm enough that we could wear only ONE jacket when we played during the winter.
- What other bands are in the building? If you've got the "two full stacks and an 8x10" band in the room next to you, chances are you're not gonna wanna stay there long.

[SorenP]

Originally Posted by GearJunkie

- Heat/AC. OH MY GOD this is important. My old practice space we had to buy two space heaters and someone had to show up an hour before practice to turn them on so that it was warm enough that we could wear only ONE jacket when we played during the winter.

Yeah man.. good call. I once tried out for a band, got asked to join, and had to decline after 2 practices becuase I thought I was going to lose my fingers playing drums there.

[Sparky]

GearJunkie has some good tips. Next think acoustics.

Acoustic treatment - does the room have a good sound? Cement? Wood? Carpet? Acoustic tiles? Is it well treated?

Soundproofing- will too much noise escape and annoy other tenants? Will loud noises like A/C, generators, toilets flushing etd. be heard in the room?

How often will the space be available and for how long? Is it safe? Secure from theft? Floods? Fires, etc.? What's your liability if something is damaged? What is the landlord's responsibilites? Deposits?

How about the load in/out- stairs, elevators, large doors, wide halls?

Hope this info helps, Sparky

[smopo24]

Security cameras are something I ask about right away. If your room is broken into by your crazy ex-bassist, and no one is around, who is to say he even did it without some proof? Also, air circulation is a must. If it's stuffy and humid (Chicago, we know a thing or two about that, right?), no one is going to want to play; but a room where air is circulating regularly is much more conducive to getting work done.