June 26th, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
Currently a rapidly expanding industry, new Self Storage facilities seem to be springing up at an alarming rate throughout the country. Already there are storage facilities that have expanded vertically, building storage rooms on second and even third floors. These facilities have found it difficult to fill those spaces. Customers are now in a position whereby they can pick and choose which local facility they use based on not only price, but how easy it is to move their goods in and out. Because self storage is very basic, there are very few options available, two, in fact. We can only really compete on price and access.
As we look to the future of self storage, it\’s very clear that the future looks bright. There are a few trends afoot backed by solid industry data that justify my positive outlook on this high growth industry. These trends are as follows, there is an increased demand because the U.S. Population is predicted to reach 400 million by the year 2050. All indicators show that Americans continue to be a highly mobile society with a high predictability to accumulate things. This means that self storage companies stand to add 150 million potential customers to our prospect list who are searching for somewhere to store their belongings.
As customers become more selective in where to store their belongings, owners of older facilities will need to make necessary improvements to remain competitive. This will ultimately result in more sophisticated and higher tech facilities offering more user friendly layouts, larger offices, flexible unit mixes, kiosks, high security, and more climate control units. You should also expect to see self storage investors competing for the premier parcels located in the high traffic retail areas of town. As a result, municipalities are beginning to require that these facilities have a retail component in order to increase the amount of sales tax generated and paid to those local governments.
They are also requiring that the facilities have a certain \”look and feel\” that blend in with the surrounding businesses. Nicer fencing, or split block security walls, paved drives, certain architectural features, and an attractive landscape package will be mandatory and made part of the architectural permit prior to construction, and strictly monitored for compliance. It is expected that people will begin to see an increase in the number of customized services available for its customers. There have already been some partnerships being formed that provide complementary products and services. Of course the most common example is truck rental, but we are now seeing pack and ship businesses, EBAY add-it stores, Kinko\’s, or co-locating with retail stores such as Starbucks or Subway on the ground floor with storage above in multi-story facilities.
As more and more people frequent self storage facilities, they will begin to expect more from the facilities and the face behind the counter. These sophisticated customers are demanding excellence and consumer loyalty will quickly go out the door, along with their stuff, if they have a bad experience. Conversely, when customers are satisfied with the service they receive, they will stay, and hopefully will tell their friends about the good experience they have had. This provides an excellent opportunity for these companies to exceed their expectations, and provide a substantially better experience.
In the future, the upward value trend in self storage will continue for a number of reasons: predictably low interest rates will push cap rates low, and net larger profits for those who choose to sell. For that reason, self storage continues to rise in popularity as one of the commercial real estate assets of choice, and will ultimately attract more investors. There are still a number of individuals and investment firms that are stinging from the recent stock market corrections. These investors are now searching for a more stable investment that they can rely on as opposed to investing in a company that they have never heard of; run by people they have never met, in an industry they know nothing about.
Self storage has continued to be a great investment to exchange into and more and more investors are choosing to park their dollars here before their tax deferred status expires. Therefore, it will be imperative for owners and developers to work more efficiently to attract and retain customers in this new environment. As the saying goes, the only thing we know for sure is that things are going to change. Self storage will remain a reasonably predictable, stable, low maintenance, high cash flow investment for professional investors for years to come.
Tags: Alarming Rate, Belongings, Climate Control Units, Flexible Unit, High Security, Local Governments, Mobile Society, Municipalities, Necessary Improvements, Parcels, Positive Outlook, Predictability, Prospect List, Retail Areas, Retail Component, Sales Tax, Self Storage Facilities, Storage Companies, Storage Rooms, Year 2050
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May 29th, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
It is quite easy to find a lot of self storage facilities in the whole of Texas and particularly in Lewisville. Most of these self storage units are targeted at people who are moving houses. Most people who move will want to store their household belonging until they can get settled properly in their new homes. In such cases, it becomes better for them to have a self storage facility that is en route to their new house. Lewisville attracts such moving clients because of the strategic geographical location of its main roads. The highways and arterial roads in Lewisville connect the main residential areas within the city and are also on the way of people moving within the other main cities of Lewisville. Because of this geographical arrangement, Lewisville is well-placed in the context of self storage.
Getting a Self Storage Unit in Lewisville
The competition in this particular market is quite intense in Lewisville. That is the reason you can find competitive prices here. Most of these self-service facilities are located on the main roads of the city such as the Central Expressway and the East Route Highway. The storage buildings, usually called warehouses here, are prominently visible as boxy buildings along the roadside, with welcoming drive-in areas.
However, though there are several self storage facilities in Lewisville, it does not mean that all of them would be suitable to your tastes. You have to consider your needs. In Lewisville, you can find mini self storage units which can be of use to you if you have few small-sized goods to store, or you can find climate controlled self storage units which are useful if you are trying to store something that is sensitive to temperature. You can also find storage facilities for special items, ranging from your valuables and important documents to your RVs and boats (though boats are rare in Lewisville!).
Because of this, it is important to do some research on the available options for self storage in Lewisville before heading out. Two things are most important to check out:-
The self storage facility that you are looking at should be convenient to you in terms of location. This is easy to find because Lewisville is dotted with self storage facilities on most of its main roads. The self storage facility rules should conform to your tastes. There are several things to consider here, but the most important thing you must look at is that the facility allows you to store and access the kinds of goods you have in a convenient manner.
Rules at Self Storage Units in Lewisville
Most of the common rules apply here too, but you will find that most self storage units here are laxer than in other places in terms of the goods that they allow you to store as well as the kind of access that they provide you with.
You can store anything that is nontoxic, non-inflammable, non-explosive and legal. In some of the storage facilities (you will have to look for them), you can also store firearms. There will be restrictions though. They might ask you to prove that you are the real owner of the firearm and your access for these goods may be stricter than for the other routine goods. You might have to show some insurance for it too. You will also find that some Lewisville storage facilities have adapted themselves to store perishable foods, including meats. This was not present in Lewisville till a few years ago, but persistent demands from clients have led some storage facilities to climate control themselves which makes it possible for them to allow such goods.
Accessing Self Storage Units in Lewisville
Different self storage units in Lewisville have different access policies and clients need to obey them. Some allow free access for renters while others use methods such as cards and some even use sophisticated biometric systems. You will find that the rent of self storage in Lewisville is in direct proportion to the kind of security measures that they employ.
Access is mostly 24/7, but in some facilities, you will find that the access is time-bound. These facilities may not allow access in the afterhours and even on certain days. However, some facilities do provide access in the late hours for an additional fee.
It can be seen that self storage in Lewisville is quite versatile. People looking for them usually find the exact kind of self storage that fits their needs. Do some research on the Internet and you will find what you need too.
Tags: Arterial Roads, Boats, Central Expressway, Geographical Location, Highways, Lewisville Texas, Main Roads, Mini Self Storage, New Homes, Residential Areas, Rvs, Self Service, Self Storage Facilities, Self Storage Facility, Self Storage Unit, Self Storage Units, Storage Buildings, Tastes, Valuables, Warehouses
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May 26th, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
Are you running out of storage space in your home or office? Do you have more “stuff” than you know what to do with? If you are like most people in this country, you probably have a ton of junk lying around because you simply have no more room for it. The solution, is staring you in the face right now and that solution is called self storage. Read on to find out more about the ins and outs of self storage.
Self storage is available to residential and business customers. It is generally very cost effective also because it allows a person or business to store all kinds of items in a secure location while being permitted constant and unfettered access to such belongings twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.
Facilities that provide storage space rentals are known in the industry as self storage providers. These facilities rent out varying shapes and sizes of self storage space that folks then use to store thins such as personal belongings, furniture, business equipment, etc. The list of items that can be stored in a self storage unit is pretty much endless as long as the items are legal and not considered dangerous by the self storage facility management. The single most important advantage of using self storage facilities is the freedom of choice you, as a client, are offered. For example, you can rent a small five foot by five foot area if that is all you need. In contrast, you can also rent a self storage unit that is large enough to hold one or more vehicles! As I stated earlier, the flexibility offered by these types of self storage companies is just amazing.
One of the more important features of any self storage provider is the security that is provided for your prized possessions. The explosion of self storage companies that has occurred over the last few years has brought many good self storage providers into the marketplace and many poor storage providers as well. It is your job as a consumer to properly vet any self storage provider you intend to use. Be sure to ask for a full list of services that are provided and the associated costs. Compare this information with other local self storage facilities in your area and choose the company that provides the best security even if it does cost a bit more.
If you do not have the time to go back and forth from your location to the storage facilities in your area, there is another alternative that many of them now offer. This alternative type of self storage is known as mobile self storage and it is a very effective and cost effective self storage solution for those who simply do not have the time to travel to and from a local self storage facility.
Mobile self storage is certainly a flexible and effective storage solution for both residential and commercial clients. The way mobile self storage works is pretty straightforward. Basically, the self storage company will send staff to your location along with self storage containers. Such storage containers are strong and weatherproof and can vary in size. You are then free to fill these storage containers with your belongings at your leisure. Once you’ve added all of your belongings to your self storage containers, you can either leave the containers at your property or you can have the self storage facility remove the containers from your property and transport them to their own storage facility where you will be give exclusive access to them via a gate code and keys.
Utilizing mobile self storage, in effect, cuts your work in half and ultimately reduces your costs. Instead of spending money on gas and wasting time traveling back and forth from a local self storage provider, you can simply step outside your door and store everything right in your driveway. The option to have your local self storage staff come and pick it up and move it to your self storage unit is a huge perk and incredibly time saving. If you require any type of self storage, I strongly recommend that you check out the mobile self storage options available from your local providers.
As you can see, self storage in general can be an amazingly convenient and cost effective service if you choose the right company. Mobile self storage, in my own experience, is just a fantastic invention. Activities such a moving between houses and cleaning garages have become substantially less complicated with the advent of mobile self storage offerings.
Tags: Business Customers, Business Equipment, Day Seven, Facility Management, Freedom Of Choice, Furniture Business, Ins And Outs, Personal Belongings, Poor Storage, Prized Possessions, Self Storage Facilities, Self Storage Facility, Self Storage Provider, Self Storage Unit, Shapes And Sizes, Staring You In The Face, Storage Companies, Storage Providers, Storage Space, Twenty Four Hours
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May 15th, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
Storage needs for city dwellers may be different than the needs of a typical suburban family. In a city, you are often going to find mini storage facilities when you look for a self storage location.
These mini storage facilities are largely the same as other storage facilities, but they focus on the smaller storage units and have few larger storage spaces.
Storage rental in a city may be higher than it would be in a smaller town, but space is also at a premium. The typical resident of a large city, such as New York or San Francisco, will likely have fewer personal belongings (on average) than a typical suburban dweller.
The need for storage in a large city is often the result of changing apartments or needing to move apartments, but not being able to coordinate the move-in and move-out days perfectly. Additionally, city dwellers are often very limited in the space they have available to them in their apartments, and a storage unit comes in handy to give them extra space to store out of season clothing, sporting equipment, or recreational equipment that takes up too much space in their apartments.
Families with children may simply give away or discard clothing and furniture or equipment as the children move from infant to toddler and then to child, but some want to save these items for future children, nieces or nephews or for charity, and they will rent a mini storage unit for that purpose.
Advantages to Storage Units
In a city, there is a high likelihood that a mini storage will be completely enclosed in a building, meaning that all the units will be in a climate control situation. This is a real advantage, particularly in the bitter winters of the northeast and Midwest, where many of the country’s largest cities are located.
Extreme temperature changes and humidity variations can be very hard on many kinds of materials. Fine wood furniture or leather furniture, photographs and books, furs and other delicate clothing, electronics and computers, and important business papers are all susceptible to problems caused by climate variations.
The gentle, indirect heating and cooling in a climate controlled storage unit prevents humidity buildup, infestations of insects and rodents, keeps mold and mildew at bay, and limits warping, cracking and splitting in furniture and other possessions.
Another advantage of mini storage in the city is that the storage areas are monitored constantly. The possessions in the storage may be safer than those in your apartment. Sometimes the companies that run the storage business may also run rental offices or provide WiFi and phone access in their spaces, giving you other benefits on top of rental space.
Services
Self storage in a city may offer a variety of different services not found at other storage businesses. For example, many offer a free concierge service with expert movers who can come to an apartment and make a quick and accurate estimate about how much ’stuff’ you have and how much space you’ll need to store it.
They can make recommendations for long-term storage if you are going out of the country or need to store your things without accessing them for more than a few weeks.
A concierge often also provides packing and transporting services for those who want to pay extra for that benefit, while few suburban self storage units provide that option. Some companies also provide boxes and packing supplies, sometimes at a reduced charge.
A feature that is similar to any other self storage business is that many city-based mini storage companies provide a vehicle to move items to storage. In the city, however, the vehicle is likely to be a minivan rather than a 18′ truck.
City mini storage may charge to move in, but there are many businesses that waive the move-in charge. The units in a city are generally indoors, with a standard size door and standard locks and keys. This is different from suburban self storage, where units often have garage-style doors large enough to accommodate a moving truck, and padlocks rather than door locks.
A city self storage may offer wine storage - as well as portable storage and drive up storage - along with their indoor, climate control storage units.
Vehicle Storage
Those who own large vehicles in a city will certainly need a place to put them. RV storage and boat storage comes at a premium in the city, and those who need vehicle storage may have to bid at a parking garage or other parking facility, since very few self storage businesses in cities are able to offer the space for vehicle storage.
Tags: City Dwellers, City Storage, Climate Control, Control Situation, Extreme Temperature Changes, Fine Wood Furniture, Future Children, Humidity Variations, Leather Furniture, Mini Storage Facilities, Mini Storage Unit, Personal Belongings, Recreational Equipment, Self Storage, Spaces Storage, Storage Location, Storage Spaces, Storage Units, Suburban Family, Typical Resident
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May 5th, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
Once you have decided to rent a self storage unit, you may be faced with the difficult question of determining what size unit you should rent. There are several factors that you should take into consideration before making your finally decision. The first consideration will be the purpose your self storage unit will have. The second consideration is whether you intend to use your self storage unit for a little while or a long time. The third consideration is what types of items you will be storing in your self storage unit. And finally, you will have to consider whether you will be adding more items to your self storage unit in the future.
First, think about what you will use your self storage unit for. If you will be using it to store items for the winter, such as a motorcycle, jet skis, a small bike, or a quad, you will need to have very accurate measurements of those machines to use before you pick a unit size. Always allow for a bit of extra space around your machines. If you pick a unit that is the exact same length as your motorcycle, you may run into some difficulties.
If you will be using your self storage location to store the items you sell from a home business, you will need a larger container than if you were simply storing boxes that can be piled on one another. This need for a larger space is dictated by the fact that you will need to create walkways for yourself between the items that are stored so that you can have easy access to each and every box. A good saleman can always lay his hands on exactly the products he needs to sell. So with that in mind, turn your self storage unit into a mini filing room or well organized office, so that you can shelve your items quickly and easily and just as quickly and easily access them when needed.
If you will be using your self storage location for boxes or other home use storage items, you will need as big a space as will comfortably accommodate all stored possessions without harming any of them. This will necessitate some guess work on your part, but by carefully examining your items, you’ll be able to find the right size for your self storage rental.
Your second consideration should be the length of time you will be using your self storage unit. If it will be for a relatively short amount of time and you will not need to access the contents of any of the boxes between when they are stored and when they are moved, you can use the smallest unit available that will accommodate all of your needs. However, if you plan to be using the self storage unit for awhile, you will probably need to select a larger space so you can create moving room for yourself to be able to access the contents of boxes between when they are moved in and moved out.
Third, consider what types of items you will be storing in your self storage unit. If it will be all strong and sturdy items, you can likely use a smaller unit. This is because these items can be more easily stacked, allowing you to take advantage of vertical space instead of only floor space. But if you will be storing items that will easily break or are in any other way fragile, you will likely need a larger storage unit so that you can better spread out your storage boxes.
Finally, one of your most important considerations when picking the right size for your self storage rental unit is whether you will be adding new items in the future. If you will have first filled your self storage unit because you’ve worked to declutter your house, you should probably consider that you will have extra items to add in the future. If you are maintaining a self storage unit to store items that a child will take with them in the future, you may continue to add new items during the time between when you first opened the unit and when the child is on their own. In either of these cases, rent a larger storage unit than you need at the time when you first use it. It is a large hassle to move from unit to unit, so when you know you will need extra space in the future, account for it when you first rent your self storage unit.
Tags: Accurate Measurements, Easy Access, Home Business, Jet Skis, Long Time, Motorcycle, Possessions, Rent, Saleman, Self Storage Rental, Self Storage Unit, Several Factors, Storage Boxes, Storage Location, Walkways
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May 3rd, 2009

Simply Self Storage asked:
Not many people have heard about underground self storage units although many have heard about above ground accommodations. Underground storage facilities offer self storage units that are designed to offer protection due to heat. Cold storage units are refrigerated and regulated at between 50-80 degrees with humidity of about 50 percent. Cold storage units are a perfect solution to protect your food storage items. Cold storage units are usually located underground to provide for better climate control of your storage facility. This way temperature can be controlled to effectively prevent moisture and dew from affecting your stored items and keeping them in the best condition.
Cold storage accommodates a variety of storage objects including meat, vegetables or any other food storage that needs to remain cold or frozen such as packaged food or seafood that requires refrigeration to remain fresh. In addition to food, you can store other heat-sensitive storage items like valuable articles, rare paintings, films, movies and many other items that may need cold storage. Keep in mind that cold storage units offer additional security measures to prevent unauthorized access to your cold storage rental.
When security is an issue, underground refrigerated cold storage units offer the extra security from any natural or man-made disaster. An underground cold storage unit can offer total protection from storms, fires, thefts or flooding. Being underground, your cold storage unit is kept dry and cool naturally. Cold storage vaults are equipped with 24 hour video security monitoring to ensure complete protection. Access points are contained and sealed with video, security systems, fire alarm systems, metal doors, well trained security guard personnel to be sure that the cold storage unit is accessed by authorized persons only.
Obviously underground conditions will differ greatly from above ground conditions. So the things that can be stored in each type may be very different as well. Think in terms of a wine cellar and that is basically the type of things that you might consider an underground storage unit for. Now in comparison, above ground storage units is entirely something different in the sense that they would store the exact opposite of what you would consider storing underground.
With more people today choosing apartments or smaller homes, the need for a place to store extra belongings that are only needed occasionally is on the rise. People used to store seasonal ornaments and clothing in the attic. With many homes today having nothing more than a crawl space for the attic, people have to find other places to store those items they only use occasionally. This trend of smaller homes-or at least less storage space-has created a boom in the self-storage industry.
For those who are not familiar with self-storage, these are units that you rent on a monthly basis and to which you have access to enter and leave at will within certain specified hours. The gates are often password or keycard activated in such a way that, if you fail to make your monthly payments, you are unable to even enter the gates to your unit. They come in several different sizes with larger units often having entry from both sides to allow easier access to the other end of the storage unit.
Self-storage units are convenient for storing those extras that you do not use frequently, but lack storage space when not in use. This includes such items as Christmas trees and ornaments, seasonal equipment and clothing, and even furniture you are not currently using. As long as you pay your storage fee each month, you are the only one with access to the unit. However, payment default allows management the authority to cut off your lock and replace it with another one. After thirty days, most self-storage facilities will place the contents of your unit up for auction.
With a self-storage unit, you can also purchase insurance through the facility that will cover your belongings each month. Of course, if you have homeowners’ insurance, you may not need this additional protection. Check your policy to see how far your insurance covers your belongings and whether it covers things stored in locations other than your home. If it does, there is no need for you to purchase additional insurance. Self-storage units whether below or above ground are certainly an alternative to getting rid of a great deal of stuff you rarely ever use. They are, however, a growing market, and one that is being utilized by people and businesses alike.
Tags: Additional Security Measures, Climate Control, Cold Storage Unit, Cold Storage Units, Fire Alarm Systems, Food Storage, Ground Accommodations, Hour Video Security, Man Made Disaster, Many Other Items, Metal Doors, Rare Paintings, Self Storage Units, Sensitive Storage, Storage Facility, Storage Objects, Storage Vaults, Underground Conditions, Underground Storage Facilities, Video Security Systems
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