Can I store and sell China imports from home?
Home can be a workable starting point, but check permission, planning, business rates and insurance before ordering stock. Describe storage, deliveries and customer collections, rather than just saying you work from home. Discuss carton sizes and delivery arrangements with Cambridge China Bridge.
Check the activity, not just the address
Our guide to importing without commercial premises covers the customs establishment question and delivery alternatives. This guide addresses the separate question of using your home to hold stock, pack orders and sell goods. GOV.UK says a home business may need permission or separate insurance, and you must check business rates.
Prepare a short description of the proposed operation: products, stock space, delivery vehicles, packing activity, customer collections, helpers and alterations. Include photographs or a floor plan. Give the same description to your property provider, council and insurer so their answers address the business you actually intend to run.
Ask about property permission and planning
GOV.UK identifies your mortgage provider or landlord, local planning authority and local council as possible permission contacts. Its examples include major alterations, lots of customers or deliveries, outside advertising and businesses needing a licence. Ask before converting a garage, installing business signage or offering customer collections.
For premises in England, official planning guidance says a material change of use requires planning permission and is assessed on the individual case. Ask the planning authority to assess your proposed storage and dispatch activity, including traffic, noise and hours. Keep its written response and check again before expanding the operation.
Investigate business rates before using more space
GOV.UK says minor home-business use normally avoids business rates where the operation uses a small part of the home, does not sell to visiting customers, does not employ people at the premises and involves no non-domestic alterations. Treat this as guidance to investigate your circumstances, rather than an automatic exemption for imported stock.
Send your stock-space plan and operating description to the Valuation Office for an assessment enquiry. In Scotland, contact your local assessor; in Northern Ireland, contact Land & Property Services. Ask how customer collections, staff or a dedicated stock area would affect the answer before changing those arrangements.
Ask the insurer about stock and selling
GOV.UK warns that home insurance may not cover business stock, computers or visiting customers. Tell your insurer exactly what you import and where you keep it. Ask for written confirmation of cover for stored goods, packing equipment, theft, fire, water damage and any customer visits.
Ask a business insurance broker about product liability, public liability, returns and cover during local deliveries. Describe your role as an importer and seller, including any own-brand goods. Use our cargo insurance guide for the shipment discussion, then ask where transit cover ends and home-stock cover begins.
Set a practical limit before ordering
Measure the usable storage area and the route from the delivery point. Ask the factory for packed dimensions and weights, then allow room for picking, packaging and returned or damaged goods. Keep household access clear and separate saleable stock from goods awaiting checks. GOV.UK says health and safety must be managed as with any other business.
Use the first China order checklist to coordinate the order with these enquiries. Cambridge China Bridge can discuss factory packing and shipment arrangements through its staff in China. If home storage remains uncertain, compare a smaller order with external storage before committing to production.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell imported goods online from home?
Home may work for storage and dispatch. Check property permission, planning, business rates and insurance using a description of your actual operation, including deliveries and any customer collections.
Do I need planning permission to store stock at home?
Ask your local planning authority about the proposed activity. In England, a material change of use requires planning permission, and the assessment depends on the individual case.
Will storing imports at home mean business rates?
Not automatically. GOV.UK describes minor home-business use that normally avoids rates. Ask the relevant valuation body about your storage space, visiting customers, staff and alterations.
Does home insurance cover imported stock?
It may not. Describe the goods, storage and selling activity to your insurer and request written confirmation. Ask a broker separately about product liability, customer visits and the end of transit cover.