Is this Self Serve a Good Buy ?

[Brandon B]

Hello everyone,

My business partner and I are trying to get in the self serve car wash industry. We are looking to buy or lease a self serve car wash. We are reaching out to a bunch of owners asking if they are interested in selling or leasing. We have a owner operator of 6years looking to sell his 3 self serve bay and 1 automatic touchless wash. Also has 4 vacuums, one of them a shampoo vac.

He is asking 650k for everything land included. It sits on 4 acers but has a pond that takes up most of the acreage. I asked for a profit and loss sheet and he sent it and he has told me over the phone that it does make money. Says that all earnings are reported on that sheet (not sure how true that is). Maybe I am miss reading his p&l sheet but to me it looks like he is losing money on this place. I understand that there is a lot of value add to this place but would this even make sense to go ahead with ?

Status of Equipment

• 3 Self Serve Bays 8 Function Rotary - Working
• 1 Auto Touchless - Broken Down
• 3 Regular Vacuums- Broken Down
• 1 Shampoo Vacuum - Working
• Bill Changers - Working
• Credit Card Readers - Working

Location Information

• AADT - 9900
• Population in Area Code- 5000 (on the edge of area code)
• 2 way street visible from road
• Located near suburbs
• A good traffic route for 9 to 5 job types
• road speed 50 mph

 

[Keno]

Run away, that gross revenue is awful

 

[Axxlrod]

I mean maybe if you need a write-off and a hobby.

 

[Brandon B]

I agree this looks awful lol

 

[Waxman]

what kind of equipment is the touch free? Why is it broken down? How long has it been broken down and out of service? What about the vacuums? There's really no reason for vacuums to be broken down. They're so simple and require so few parts to operate that having them broken down seems like a matter of laziness. If this business has been run in a lazy and haphazard way it's no surprise that the revenue is so low. It doesn't look like there's even enough money here to make a decent wage as a part-time job for you. A business like this will be much more than part time hours especially if you are operating the automatic and taking care of the place yourself. I say keep looking and educate yourself about the car wash business at the same time. It seems like you have very little knowledge about this industry and that's going to be a challenge for you moving forward.

 

[OurTown]

So in 10 months it loses $12K and he wants $650K? Where's the extra value? It doesn't sound like it's in a highly populated area so I doubt the land is worth a lot. An experienced operator might be able to turn this wash around but not at anywhere near that price.

 

[Greg Pack]

I'd buy it maybe for the lake. .

 

[cbchevy4x4]

Looks Like hes owned the place 10 months and losing his ass. Yea its making money but hes spending more than that. Based on the numbers provided thats a BIG NO for me!! I can put 650k in a measly CD and make more money than that.!!

 

[OurTown]

Looks Like hes owned the place 10 months and losing his ass. Yea its making money but hes spending more than that. Based on the numbers provided thats a BIG NO for me!! I can put 650k in a measly CD and make more money than that.!!

OP stated that the current owner has had it for 6 years.

 

[cbchevy4x4]

OP stated that the current owner has had it for 6 years.

Yea i read that now, lol! Im at the wash and as soon as i try to relax, take a crap, and type someone knocks on the door needing 1 quarter for a dime, a nickel and 10 pennies.

 

[Brandon B]

what kind of equipment is the touch free? Why is it broken down? How long has it been broken down and out of service? What about the vacuums? There's really no reason for vacuums to be broken down. They're so simple and require so few parts to operate that having them broken down seems like a matter of laziness. If this business has been run in a lazy and haphazard way it's no surprise that the revenue is so low. It doesn't look like there's even enough money here to make a decent wage as a part-time job for you. A business like this will be much more than part time hours especially if you are operating the automatic and taking care of the place yourself. I say keep looking and educate yourself about the car wash business at the same time. It seems like you have very little knowledge about this industry and that's going to be a challenge for you moving forward.

Touchless as in the washing components never touch the car. Its a hydrospray rainmaker so it is an older in bay automatic. Why is equipment broken down well maybe the owner does not care to fix it idk. The point is this guy does not have time to fix the place. Its obvious that you cant just walk away from a business like this. Like every business you need to keep up on everything that is going on daily. That's why I joined the car wash forum to educate myself from people in the business. You cant become an expert just learning stuff online, there is a point where you need to hop in the ring and get in the business and that is where me and my business partner are at. And everything is a challenge we are willing to take them on just asking to see if I am missing anything from this deal he is offering.

 

[Kimberly Berg]

Sounds like a terrible deal!! If the ONLY thing that's working is 3 SS bays and a shampoo vacuum, what is he spending $1472 on for monthly car wash supplies?

 

[Dan kamsickas]

Maybe at a 1/4 of what he's asking.

His P&L could very well be utter BS. Demand 3 years of tax returns.

Non-working Auto and vacs? That's like putting a billboard out front for customers that screams "Do Not Use This Carwash". Depending on the auto you could be looking at a few grand to get it going or $250K +/- to replace. Unless the vacs are some really old, oddball units there is never a reason for those to be down more that a day or two, another HUGE red flag for customers. No one wants to use a site that is poorly maintained.

With no experience in the industry you'd be starting out behind the eight-ball with a gun to your head.

 

[Dan kamsickas]

Sounds like a terrible deal!! If the ONLY thing that's working is 3 SS bays and a shampoo vacuum, what is he spending $1472 on for monthly car wash supplies?

Golf, hookers, and blow ain't cheap anymore.

 

[Rudy]

Ha.....You just triggered my unhealed inner child (or something similar).......

"Yea i read that now, lol! I'm at the wash and as soon as i try to relax, take a crap, and type someone knocks on the door needing 1 quarter for a dime, a nickel and 10 pennies."

What's with this!!!!

It's 2025 and people go to the car wash with pennies and nickels???

BTW, I'm not usually on the commode. I'm usually atop a step ladder with a grease gun lubing chains and sprockets.......

 

[Kimberly Berg]

Ha.....You just triggered my unhealed inner child (or something similar).......

"Yea i read that now, lol! I'm at the wash and as soon as i try to relax, take a crap, and type someone knocks on the door needing 1 quarter for a dime, a nickel and 10 pennies."

What's with this!!!!

It's 2025 and people go to the car wash with pennies and nickels???

BTW, I'm not usually on the commode. I'm usually atop a step ladder with a grease gun lubing chains and sprockets.......

Lol! That's when the customer asks, "do you work here??"

 

[cbchevy4x4]

Ha.....You just triggered my unhealed inner child (or something similar).......

"Yea i read that now, lol! I'm at the wash and as soon as i try to relax, take a crap, and type someone knocks on the door needing 1 quarter for a dime, a nickel and 10 pennies."

What's with this!!!!

It's 2025 and people go to the car wash with pennies and nickels???

BTW, I'm not usually on the commode. I'm usually atop a step ladder with a grease gun lubing chains and sprockets.......

Thats usually the way it is. My favorite is you have an orange cone out front, your in the bay working on something on the ladder and they pull up, move the cone and then try to pull in like they own the place!!!

 

[Dick Nitro]

Don’t be seduced… Always be willing to walk

It’s a lot like buying a truck. You wanted a cream puff 1 owner ‘99 F-250 7.3, but 3 weeks later you pull the trigger on a clapped Chevy from Facebook with little history because the seller sweet talked and you lost control of yourself. I get it… I’ve done it…

Be patient and keep learning/looking. Cream puffs are rare, but they’re out there. It took me over 2 years and lots of p/l’s from many “maybe” businesses before I found my current wash with a location and numbers that made sense for me as well as a growth potential I could visualize.

I’m new too, but I’m currently very happy with my pick and even happier that I dodged all those other bullets. I cringe sometimes thinking of what I almost got myself into. Keep reminding yourself that you’re not buying A business, you’re buying THE business.

my .02

 

[designflaw]

I would not do it. I am dying to buy another car wash but this one looks alot of trouble.

What is the land valued at? I would do the appraised value + 10% or something along the lines if I really am set to buying the place.

The way that statement is, it does not look like the car wash makes much profit.