Dry, dehumidified indoor storage for the months you will not drive, with the battery conditioned, the car run and moved every sixty days, and collection by our own transporter. Henry's Car Barn has stored cars this way since 1984, from sites in Warwickshire, London, Hampshire and West Sussex, plus a fifth at Thruxton from November 2026.
Last reviewed 2 November 2026 by Henry's Car Barn. Facility details are taken from our own storage process; technical claims are sourced at the end.
Winter car storage is keeping a car you will not drive between about late October and early April in a dry indoor building, with its battery on a conditioner, its tyres protected from flat spots, and someone inspecting it, so it comes out in spring as it went in.
It suits classics, convertibles, supercars, track cars and any second car that would otherwise sit on a drive through the wettest months of the year.
Most owners store from late October to early April, about five to six months, and the better trigger is the first road salt rather than the calendar. Our winter preparation guide explains the timing, and why a car driven properly on its last day stores better than one parked early and forgotten.
Damp does the damage. Cold on its own does very little. The Canadian Conservation Institute, whose guidance museums use for metal objects, says the water layer on a metal surface grows rapidly above 75% relative humidity, and that leather and other protein-rich surfaces can show mould in about 100 days at 70% and 10 days at 80%.
London's daily high humidity averages about 92% across the year, and an ordinary garage is not sealed from that air: Continental warns that garages, sheds and attics undergo a range of temperatures, precipitation and humidity. Animals follow the cold indoors. The RAC reported in October 2025 that rodent damage claims rose 28% in 2024, with an average repair bill of £2,494, and that the damage is more common in the winter months. Outside, UV ages rubber, bird droppings mark paint, and a car cover can trap condensation against the body. Our guide to storing a car without a garage compares covers, carports, bubbles, tents and rented garages.
Every car goes through the same process on arrival, then a fixed routine of inspection, conditioning and running until you want it back. The buildings are dehumidified, the cover is soft and breathable, the handbrake is left off, and the battery is on a conditioner from the first day to the last.
This is the process at our main site in Warwickshire; every open site gives the same dehumidified indoor care. Here it is in brief.
| Stage | What we do |
|---|---|
| Arrival | Collected by our transporter or delivered by you. The car is inspected before it is stored. If you deliver it, stay for a coffee. |
| Wash | Our wash and inspection bay is on site. If needed, and for a small fee, the car is cleaned and prepared, with the seat, wheel and floor covered before it is moved. |
| Inspection | General condition, tyre tread and pressure, fluids (topped up if needed) and battery health. We send you the results, with a quote for any work if something is not right. |
| Air dry | 24 hours in a controlled environment, so the car acclimatises before it is put away. |
| Photographs | The car is photographed to record its condition, and the photos are sent to you. |
| Brakes and engine | The brakes are cycled to clear any surface rust from the air dry, and the engine runs to operating temperature one last time. |
| Storage | In its own bay in a dehumidified building, driver's window slightly open for airflow, handbrake off, under a soft breathable HCB cover, on a battery conditioner, with a drip tray underneath. |
| While it is with us | What happens |
|---|---|
| Daily | The site is inspected. The car stays covered to avoid unnecessary contact. |
| Weekly | Every battery conditioner and drip tray is checked. |
| About every 60 days | The car is uncovered, checked, started and run to operating temperature, and moved so the tyres do not flat-spot, then covered again. |
| When you ask for it back | We check MOT and tax, then battery, lights, indicators and horn, and top up fluids such as the washer bottle. |
At any of our four sites, with a fifth at Thruxton from November 2026. Each of the four gives the same dehumidified indoor care; what differs is where it is and what sits around it. Each site is listed by county. Tell us where you are and we will suggest the nearest, or collect from your door.
| Site | Notes |
|---|---|
| Warwickshire | The original site on the family farm, behind gates with number plate recognition and monitored around the clock. Close to the M40, M42, M6 and M5. Workshop on site. |
| London | Ask us about it when you enquire. |
| Hampshire | For the south of England. Dehumidified indoor care, collection available. |
| West Sussex | For the south coast. Dehumidified indoor care, collection available. |
| Thruxton | A fifth site at Thruxton from November 2026. Enquire for Thruxton. |
Our guide to choosing a location goes through the differences in more detail.
We quote for each car and each stay rather than publishing a rate. Tell us the car, the site, the dates and whether you want it collected, and we will send a figure. Our cost guide explains how to compare the full cost of a stay.
Not much, if it is coming to us. Drive it properly on the way so it arrives warm, bring the tank nearly full of the right fuel, take out anything organic or valuable, and tell us about any faults or quirks. We do the inspection, the wash if wanted, the brakes, the photographs and the put-away.
If you are storing at home instead, our winter preparation guide covers every step, from fuel and oil to covers and SORN.
Yes, about every sixty days, and we run it to full operating temperature rather than idling it. Burning petrol makes water, and a short idle on a cold morning leaves some of it in the exhaust and the oil, which is why we do not start cars weekly. The battery stays charged by its conditioner instead.
Our long-term storage guide shows the arithmetic.
Do I need to declare SORN while my car is in winter storage?
Only if you stop taxing it. A SORN car must be kept off the public road, which a storage building satisfies, and you get a refund for any full months of tax left. If you keep the car taxed it must stay insured. You can keep it taxed and insured if you want it available at short notice. GOV.UK sets out the rules.
Is a heated garage better than a dehumidified building?
Not on its own. What matters is relative humidity, which the Canadian Conservation Institute's thresholds for metal and mould are based on, and heating alone does not control it. As our winter preparation guide explains, warm air holds more moisture, and it condenses on cold metal as a building cools overnight. A dehumidified building holds the air dry whatever the temperature.
Is my car insured while it is stored?
Check your own policy first, and ask Henry's Car Barn how cover works before the car arrives, so there is no gap between the two. Our car storage and insurance guide explains laid-up cover and who covers what while a car is stored.
What should I bring when the car arrives?
Bring the keys, including any spare or tracker fob, and a note of any faults, quirks or jobs you would like Henry's Car Barn to quote for. If the car has a battery isolator or an alarm that drains the battery, tell us how it behaves.
Can I store an electric or hybrid car for the winter?
Yes. Henry's Car Barn stores electric and hybrid cars, and the small 12 volt battery still matters while the car stands. Our electric and hybrid storage guide covers what each manufacturer says about the charge level to leave and whether to plug in; tell us the car when you book.
Use the contact page and choose your nearest site from the list, or ask us to suggest one. Tell us the car, the dates you have in mind, whether you want us to collect it, and anything you would like done on arrival. We will come back with a quote and a date. Henry's Car Barn has stored cars since 1984, and the routine above is the same in January as in June.
