How to prepare your car for winter storage

Preparing a car for winter storage comes down to a handful of jobs done properly. Wash it and dry it, underneath as well as on top. Decide how the battery will be kept healthy. Set the tyres to the right pressure. Sort out the tax and insurance, or declare the car off the road. Then keep it somewhere dry and secure, under a cover that lets moisture escape. Get those right and a car laid up in October should come out in spring in the condition it went in.

The timing matters too. National Highways runs its winter service from 1 October to early April, spreading salt before road surfaces drop below freezing, and local councils grit the roads they look after. Once a car is with us at our indoor facility just off the A21 in Kent, part of the work is done for you. Every car goes under a cotton cover, the tyres are rolled regularly, and depending on the package the battery is kept on a conditioner and the engine is run once a month. The rest is best done before the car arrives.

Lay the car up before the salt goes down

Salty water gets into seams, sills and the underside, and it keeps working there while the car stands still. In our experience, laying a car up in early October works better than waiting for the first frost, because the gritters go out ahead of that frost and a single wet drive on freshly salted roads leaves a coating underneath that then sits there all winter. If the car has already been out on wet, salted roads, wash the underside before it goes into storage rather than after it comes out.

Wash it, then dry it properly

Hagerty UK's winter storage advice is to wash, polish and wax the car, and to clean the wheel arches and underside as well. Bird droppings, tree sap and dead insects deserve particular attention, because anything left on the paint has months to mark it. A coat of wax or sealant gives the finish a layer of protection under the cover.

Drying matters as much as washing. Water left in the door shuts, sills and boot seals has nowhere to go once a car is covered and standing. After the wash, open the doors and boot, dry the shuts and rubbers, and give the car time to air before it's put away. Inside, take out rubbish, food and anything damp, including mats that got wet on the last drive, because damp carpet in a closed car is how mould starts. The AA's laying-up guide says the same, and suggests lifting the carpets and drying them thoroughly if you suspect damp.

If you'd rather hand this over, tell us when you check the car in and we can arrange a professional valet. The same service can be booked for the end of the winter, so the car is clean and ready on the day you collect it.

Decide how the battery will be looked after

A modern car draws a small current even when it's locked, to keep the alarm, immobiliser and keyless entry working, and over a winter that is enough to flatten a healthy battery. Disconnecting the battery stops that drain, but a disconnected battery still loses charge slowly on its own, and the RAC warns that one left unplugged and unused for a long time can be damaged beyond repair.

Battery care is the main difference between our three storage packages. On Storage Type A the battery is disconnected or removed by the owner before the car goes in. On Type B the car stays connected to the owner's own battery conditioner, which tops the battery up only when it needs it. Type C adds a monthly engine run on top of that. A conditioner is the better choice for most modern cars, and for anything with an alarm or tracker you want to keep working. Disconnecting suits simpler older cars, where a reset clock and radio are no great loss. If you're choosing Type B or C, bring your conditioner with the car.

Tyres, handbrake and fuel

A tyre that carries the same patch of weight for months can develop a flat spot. Check the pressures before the car comes in. Hagerty suggests inflating to the maximum recommended pressure for storage, so make a note of the pressures you normally run and set the tyres back to them before the car is driven again. While a car is with us, we roll the tyres regularly so the weight doesn't sit on one section of rubber all winter.

A handbrake left on for months can leave the pads stuck to the discs, and Hagerty recommends wheel chocks instead. The AA's view is that the parking brake should only be left off on private land with the wheels securely chocked. If you have a preference for your car, add it to the notes when you fill in the check-in form.

On fuel, the AA recommends topping up before a lay-up, because a full tank doesn't attract condensation the way a part-empty one can. Hagerty also advises changing the oil and filter before storage and then running the engine to circulate the fresh oil.

Tax, insurance or SORN

Decide before the car stops being driven whether it will stay taxed and insured or be declared off the road with a SORN. GOV.UK sets out the rules. A SORN is free, cancels the vehicle tax and brings a refund for any full months left, and a car with a SORN doesn't legally need insuring. In return it can't be used on a public road until it's taxed again, except to go to or from a pre-booked MOT or other test.

Whichever you choose, we advise keeping your insurance going and telling your insurer the car is in storage. Cover against fire and theft still matters when a car isn't being driven.

Think, too, about whether you'll want the car during the winter. One of our check-out options is a drive out and back the same day, and that needs the car to be taxed and insured. A SORN rules it out until the car has been taxed again.

What happens once the car is with us

The car is kept indoors in a dry, secure building with an alarm that is set around the clock, and the facility is manned seven days a week. It goes under a luxury cotton cover, which we supply, although you're welcome to use your own fitted cover instead. The tyres are rolled regularly. On Type C the engine is started once a month and run up to temperature, and a private road on site means engines can be run without a car going out onto a public road.

When you want the car back, we need 24 hours' notice. You can use the check-out form, call or send a WhatsApp message, and we've found most of our customers use WhatsApp because it's the quickest. There's guest parking for your everyday car while the stored one is out.

What a winter in storage costs

Every package has a minimum term of three months, so even a lay-up from November to the end of January qualifies. From the start of October to early April is about 26 weeks. Over that period Type A at £30 a week comes to £780, Type B at £35 a week comes to £910, and Type C at £40 a week comes to £1,040. Three months, the shortest term we offer, is roughly 13 weeks, which works out at about £390, £455 or £520. The same three packages apply to a modern supercar and a 1960s classic alike.

Booking a space for the winter

If you're planning a winter lay-up, get in touch to book a space and we'll confirm the details with you. You're welcome to look round first by arrangement. We ask for ID, and during a visit we can't remove car covers or allow photographs, which protects every car already in our care. We're just off the A21, 10 miles from Tunbridge Wells, and if bringing the car over is awkward we can collect it and deliver it back when the winter is over.