Self-storage has evolved over the last 40-plus years. In bygone days, developers had a relatively easy time locating a site and building what was essentially rows of garage-type units. Today, it takes tenacity, capital, and sometimes sheer will to convince municipalities of the worth of a new facility in their...
The self-storage developers of a few decades ago would have been awed by today’s new facilities. The sophistication of our technology, state-of-the-art security, levels of automation, and sheer aesthetics of some properties would have seemed implausible. What’s more astonishing is that customers have come to expect these features. In a...
If you are a business owner exhausted of renting commercial real estate and considering purchasing versus renewing your lease agreement that increased substantially, you’re in for a rude awakening. The commercial real estate market has been dominated by investment capital. A business owner is being priced out of the market;...
Growth in a community is great; it means more jobs, a growing population, new and fun restaurants, and other such improvements that come with a growing economy. But growth often comes at the expense of history, wiping away the past to make room for the future. As communities grow and...
Widespread market volatility from the COVID-19 pandemic’s ongoing supply chain disruptions, the Russia-Ukraine war, and inflation are causing unwelcome ripples through much of the world. The resulting increased costs for oil and all products derived from it—steel, fasteners, roll-up doors, and “every product that goes into our buildings”—are hitting self-storage...
Unsettled world events may have an affect later in year The self-storage industry has been experiencing a financing windfall for several years and most industry experts say it is still going strong. However, with continuing rise in inflation, gasoline prices, a predicted bump – or several – in the prime...
A few decades ago, a handful of ambitious 20-somethings working in the light-steel construction industry had a similar vision. Though 2,400 miles apart, both groups saw promise in the fledgling self-storage industry. These startups would both grow to be top construction firms in an industry that has grown beyond the...
Moderation is the key word for self-storage development in 2022. After peaking in 2018 and 2019, the growth in self-storage inventory has dropped closer to the long-term average and will continue to decelerate – albeit slightly – in 2022 and beyond, according to Yardi Matrix. Matrix forecasts 50.3 million square...
There is an argument to be made that a functioning roof is the single most important aspect of any facility. Water intrusion goes far beyond the leak itself. Insulation becomes compromised, while ceilings and drywall can be ruined, and this is before any property damage is calculated. As the owner...
Heading into the fourth quarter, it’s safe to say that 2021 has been a fairly profitable year for the self-storage industry. Rental rates at facilities across the country have rebounded, investment capital is plentiful, and new development is on the horizon to satisfy growing demand for self-storage. But for developers...
Natural disasters, COVID-19, and rising construction costs are proving to be the perfect storm, frustrating owners of new self-storage facilities under construction and those trying to rebuild their businesses following a season of disastrous storms and wildfires in 2020. This staggering combination of events is causing cost overruns and delays...
For the self-storage industry, 2020 was an outstanding year with an unprecedented amount of new capital entering the sector. Some of this can be attributed to rising demand for storage as people facing a pandemic adjusted their living situations. Also instrumental was the underperformance of other real estate sectors, such...