Whether you’re investing in commercial self-storage or are simply thinking about building a steel self-storage unit or shed on your property, you want to ensure that you’ll get a lot of use out of the structure.
Self-storage is a growing industry, and it doesn’t appear that American families will stop requiring extra storage anytime soon. Countless self-storage facilities are being built to meet that demand. If you’re getting involved with self-storage as an investment, you need to come up with creative ways to differentiate your offerings.
Here, we’ll go over some of the more unique ways people may be using self-storage. We will also provide some outside-of-the-box upgrades you can offer to ensure that your facility remains competitive.
Creative Self-Storage Solutions to Be Ready For (Can Your Units Handle This?)
Depending on the services an Atlanta self-storage facility offers, customers may seek a space that can be:
1. An emergency preparedness cache.
People may use self-storage to store canned food, extra water, and survival-focused items that they don’t need on a regular basis. Keeping accessible food and tools away from the home may be a good strategy for many. There are some cities that even encourage residents (usually those located in areas prone to natural disasters) to rent storage and leave it empty, ready to store essential items as needed if something happens to their home.
2. A stock room for a side hustle.
While actually conducting business from a self-storage unit is generally frowned upon, keeping extra packaging materials, inventory, or bulky equipment in a convenient self-storage unit can keep a lot of clutter out of a person’s home.
3. A family memento or art gallery.
As people move through life, they may accrue items, crafts, and souvenirs that can be difficult to throw away. The storage services you offer may help people keep their treasures in a safe, easy-to-access archive.
These aren’t the only solutions self-storage can provide. Commercial self-storage units can function as wine cellars, personal libraries, remote walk-in closets, and even secret gift storage during the holiday season.
To ensure that your facilities can be what your clients need, you need to ensure they’re up to the task.
Consider Adding These Features to Your Self-Storage Facility
Here are a few upgrades to consider implementing to give your clients access to ultra-useful, versatile spaces:
Specific control over climate conditions.
Today, clients looking for self-storage that meets unique needs may need more than the assurance that their unit will be air-conditioned. For example, offering wine self-storage requires both temperature and humidity control. Therefore, some sommeliers will want to control both down to the exact degree.
Vehicle, RV, and boat storage.
Depending on the location of your self-storage facility, offering garage units or lots specifically for safe vehicle storage can go a long way. (This could be a vital offering if your facility is near the water or a large airport.)
Retail offerings on-site.
Often, when customers seek self-storage, they’re in the midst of a move or about to travel. So offering customers frequently-needed items can help your facility stand out from the crowd. Some of these items could be boxes, packing materials, tape, or even boat and RV supplies .
Shipment receiving on-site.
If your customers are using your self-storage units to store inventory or otherwise act as a stockroom for their business, they may appreciate the ability to send packages straight to the storage facility. Offering this service can make your customers’ lives a lot easier. You could offer it either as part of the unit rental agreement or for some per-package fee.
Ready to Provide Creative Self-Storage Solutions? Invest in High-Quality Steel Structures, First
Self-storage can be many things to many people. This exact versatility and flexibility make self-storage a reliably good investment, whether you’re getting involved in managing a multi-unit structure or simply upgrading what’s available on your personal property.
However, to have a self-storage unit ready to provide precisely what’s needed, the structure itself needs to be sound—interested in designing and building a steel structure? Peak Steel Contractors is ready to assist. We handle design and build processes and more. Check out our past projects and contact us for more information.