Brighton Gas Stations

With a land area of almost three square miles, the neighborhood of Brighton is large enough to be bigger than some Boston suburbs. Couple that with a population of more than 40,000 people, and you'll see that the neighborhood is an excellent place to invest, especially considering the year-after-year growth that's happening throughout the Boston area. While there are a wide array of residential investment properties to consider in the area, commercial properties tend to perform well here, and one of the increasingly popular property types in the Boston area is the gas station, which can make an investor a sizeable return.

Click Here to Search

gas stations

Purchasing and Leasing Gas Stations

If you're considering investing in a service station, then it's important to understand that location is everything. A good service station should take advantage of high traffic areas and it should be easy to reach from just about any area of the neighborhood, and there are a few options like this in the Brighton area.

With that said, it's important to decide how you want to enter into a service station investment. If you're thinking about one of these commercial investments, you'll be able to either purchase or lease the property from an existing owner. In any situation, it's important to do your research; it's not uncommon for an owner to fudge the books somewhat.

For this reason, many prospective buyers will opt to lease the property first because doing so doesn't require such a large initial investment. Once leased, you can determine if the commercial property performs as well as you'd like. If it does, you can make the purchase, and if it doesn't, you can just find another investment opportunity.

Purchasing the property outright also has its advantages. Most purchasers note that you simply have more control over the day-to-day operations of the property. For example, an owner will decide the branding of the station, the promotions, and even the supplier contracts. Additionally, purchasing a station is a great way to acquire property that you can use to build equity.

Buying a Service Station with a Convenience Store

It's uncommon to find a service station property that doesn't have at least one add-on business. This is the case due to the fact that it's very hard to turn a profit just off of gas sales due to the fact that much of the sale goes to the federal government, the oil suppliers, the refineries, and the delivery companies. At the end of the day, you'll only make about one percent of the gas sales in your service station.

Add-on businesses have the benefit of providing you with other avenues in which you can make a profit. For example, a car wash can be mostly automated yet generate steady income for your station. Similarly, a garage can be a real revenue-generator due to the fact that vehicles tend to be serviced longer today than they were in previous years.

With all this said, the go-to add-on business investment for many entrepreneurs working in the service station industry is the convenience store. Simply put, the sale of gas can easily segue into the sale of items like snacks, coffee, or morning newspapers, especially in an area like this one with a dedicated commuter workforce.

Reasons to Consider this area for Your Investment

This area is full of opportunities for the right investor; much of the populace dwells in apartment houses, and many of the residents are drivers, so a well-positioned gas station can be a quality investment. Wondering where to start? At Boston City Properties, we have listings of just about all of the commercial opportunities in the Boston area, so give us a call today at 617-247-1933.

Like many investors, you may have heard about the great potential of investing in fuel stations. If you are ready to proceed and are looking to buy or lease a gas station in Brighton, the busy Boston neighborhood, you are in for some work. The local commercial real estate market here is complicated in general, and many considerations come into play when leasing or buying fuel stations in the city. For best results, it pays to have all of the help that you can get; get that and more by connecting with Boston City Properties.

About the Neighborhood

Stretching over an area of nearly 4 square miles, this bustling Boston neighborhood had a population of around 44,000 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. Covered by the 02135 zip code, its local commercial real estate market is quite eclectic, and it includes dozens of local fuel stations. When one hits the market, it doesn’t tend to stay there for very long, so it’s crucial to act quickly.

What to Look For

Although it pays to have experience in buying or leasing fuel stations, it’s not mandatory. Boston City Properties has connections with local commercial agents, and we can refer you to one whenever you’re ready. For now, here are a few things to look for when buying or leasing a fuel station in Boston:

• Appearance – The station that you buy or lease doesn’t have to be the best or flashiest, but it should have an appealing outward appearance. The premises and property should be neat and tidy, and there should be clear, easy-to-read signage. The more welcoming the place seems, the likelier customers are to not only pump gas but to come into the store for extras—and that’s where your real profits are.
• Location – Choose a station that is directly on a busy road with lots of commercial traffic. Better still, select one that’s on a busy intersection. However, take care not to buy one on a block that has too many other stations, or profits for your specific store won’t be nearly as strong as they otherwise would be.
• Size – Bigger is better when it comes to fuel stations—at least when it comes to their attached convenience stores. Avoid stations with markets that are mere afterthoughts or that lack them entirely. While there’s money to be made in fuel, you’ll enjoy more consistent returns by selling snacks and other items in the store.

Considerations to Make

There are many pitfalls to avoid when buying or leasing a fuel station in this Boston neighborhood. Keep these considerations in mind to ensure that you end up with the best deal possible:

• Lease and financing terms – The most promising station in the world won’t do you much good if you can’t make the lease or financing terms work, so find out the details as early as possible. If you are buying, see if you qualify for a Small Business Administration loan; if you are leasing, look for a deal where you can negotiate the terms of a new lease rather than adopt an existing one.
• Environmental issues – Could a sneaky station owner be trying to avoid heavy fines by selling a property with underlying environmental problems? This happens all of the time, so it’s crucial to always have an environmental study performed before leasing or signing a fuel station. The real estate agent to whom we refer you can assist in this regard.
• Financial records – Are you walking into a money-making deal, or are you inadvertently investing in a money pit? The proof is in the pudding, as they say, so request at least two years of financial records for the station. Have a skilled accountant or CPA look them over to determine just how profitable the station really is.
• Is everything included? – Finally, watch out for deals where the station itself may be on the market but new pumps or other equipment are needed to get it up and running. If there is a car wash, for example, is it included in the lease or sale? Will you get all of the cash registers, shelving and other accessories, or will you have to buy them separately?

How Boston City Properties Can Help

If you are ready to lease or buy a Brighton gas station, Boston City Properties is ready to help. The first step is checking current availability to see if any stations that suit your needs are for sale in the neighborhood. When you sign up for free access to our listings, you can learn what you need to know in an instant. Later, contact us for a referral to a local commercial real estate expert who can assist you further. Give us a call for more information.

Click Here to Search

gas stations