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Has anyone here started a storage buisness?

Posted on 3/13/23 at 10:18 am
Posted by jmarto1
Houma, LA/ Las Vegas, NV
Member since Mar 2008
34045 posts
Posted on 3/13/23 at 10:18 am
I have a piece of land that my mother and I are willing to develop. One of our ideas has been a climate controlled storage business as they tend to do well and could easily be managed online. Anything else could be handled by her or my sister. The land is 1.6 acres, zone C-2, and is completely paid off. It currently has my mother's house on it (she lives elsewhere) and is rented by my sister but that is not an issue. Any advice is appreciated!
This post was edited on 3/13/23 at 2:59 pm
Posted by Big Scrub TX
Member since Dec 2013
33577 posts
Posted on 3/13/23 at 11:26 am to
quote:

Has anyone here built started a storage buisness?
Yes

quote:

they tend to do well
That's a bold statement ignoring myriad confounding variables and details.

quote:

could easily be managed online.
I don't agree.

quote:

Any advice is appreciated!
Slow WAY down. Conduct a local market analysis. The general rule of thumb is if your intended area of service is +- 6 sq/ft of storage space per capita. Below, is generally thought to be a relative shortage. Above, a surplus.

For the lease up, you're likely going to want to partner with one of the major incumbents (e.g. Cube Smart) to actually manage it for you.
Posted by tigersmanager
Member since Jun 2010
7470 posts
Posted on 3/13/23 at 11:35 am to
Most important things to look at are location, traffic count and population density. After that it would be amount of comp in area. Areas with more apartments do better in my experience. Good Luck
Posted by OldHickory
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2012
10602 posts
Posted on 3/13/23 at 1:18 pm to
You need to either be there almost daily or have someone you trust to manage it. People treat rented space about like rental housing. Trash, vandalism, security, maintenance are all things to be dealt with.
Posted by kcpizzle
Member since Mar 2022
558 posts
Posted on 3/15/23 at 10:14 am to
I have a family member who owns a storage facility in a small town of +- 5000 people. Has a total of about 100 units. Mixture of climate controlled / non-climate controlled. It is very profitable and relatively low maintenance.
Posted by jbgleason
Bailed out of BTR to God's Country
Member since Mar 2012
18927 posts
Posted on 3/15/23 at 11:08 am to
I always felt like non-climate controlled with a mix of vehicle, RV, boat storage would be the way to go.

My good friends live up by Lake Lanier and the RV / Boat Storage places there are killing it. Cement pads with open overhead coverage and a power outlet at each pad.

Easy build out, easy maintenance.
Posted by teambooyah
Member since Aug 2015
120 posts
Posted on 3/17/23 at 6:21 am to
So I actually specialize in building these. If you give me your email, I can probably get you some info on build costs. Someone unfamiliar with building them cannot touch our pricing. It’s a pretty specialized market sector.
Posted by TrussvilleTide
The Endless Void
Member since Sep 2021
4069 posts
Posted on 3/17/23 at 12:12 pm to
I've had some friends do it. I've heard banks love lending money to start these because they are one of the safer businesses out there.
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