The question whether to buy a new glass greenhouse or a secondhand one comes almost with every project, and the answer is not simple. There are various factors which can influence the decision whether to go for a new or a secondhand construction, glass, heating pipes or even secondhand growing gutters…

Here are some of them:

Greenhouse surface

If you are planning to build a glass greenhouse below 1ha (2.47 acres) it is recommended to go for a secondhand because the price of a new project can go very height.

If you are planning to build a glass greenhouse between 1ha and 2ha (2.47 – 4.94 acres) it is recommended to consider other factors and decide between a secondhand and a new materials.

But if you are planning to build 5ha ( 12.3 acres) or more then again a new glasshouse comes as an only logical option.

With the smaller projects of below 1ha (2.47 acres) it is to expensive to invest in a new project, unless its a gardencentar or a research laboratory.. a specialized greenhouse. Normal production greenhouses can’t produce enough vegetables to have an acceptable ROI. Exception is if you are growing special cut flowers or medical herb. But for a tomato, cucumber or capsicum production, better go for a renovated secondhand greenhouse.

Between 1ha (2.47 acres)  and 2 (4.94 acres) or 3ha (7.4 acres), It makes very much good sense to do both, secondhand and new, and usually other factors make a decision. Factors like heating source, financing, subsidies, etc…

Above 5ha (12.3 acres) greenhousees we are talking usually about tomato, cucumber or capsicums production or a cut flower production.. For this kind of greenhouses new projects are only option because a secondhand greenhouses of 5ha (12.3 acres) or 10 ha (24.7 acres) are usually very hard to find.

Availability

Secondhand greenhouses are not always available. You might get a nice quote from someone, but by the time you are ready to buy, and this can take months, that particular greenhouse might be sold. And you are facing months searching for a new opportunity to buy, without being sure when it will arrive or if it will arrive at all.

Renovated or “A Demolish” project

If you are buying a renovated secondhand greenhouse, from a reputable Dutch company, those glasshouses are with lots of new materials. Made ready for installation. But they come with a higher price.

“A Demolish” project is when you buy an already existing greenhouse somewhere in the world, and you come with your workers, take apart the greenhouse, pack and transport what you need, throw away the rest.

And you end up with a pile of greenhouse materials on your land plot.

With this kind of projects materials come out really cheap. But on the other hand you need a special engineering team for drawings, projects, buying new materials which are not easy to come buy etc.

All in all a very difficult project.

Local Regulations

Sometimes building a secondhand greenhouse which is 20 years old or more is not allowed by the law in your area. The local building license regulations do not allow anymore the old type of greenhouses to be constructed due to their low snow load and wind resistance, or other factors.

The purpose of the greenhouse

What is the greenhouse intended for:

• A Laboratory -always new;
• A Garden center – almost always new:
• A high priced medical herb production -always new;
• Vegetable production -can be both;
• Solar panels -always secondhand;

And finally… latest greenhouse model or the old one

With new greenhouses you always buy the latest model of the construction and roof type.

With secondhand ones, it is a various levels of “old”, which can be a huge difference.

So in general there are more factors and all combined together influence the final decision… With your project it might be something totally different and it requires a careful consideration of them all.