Owning a self-storage business can be a very successful and profitable venture when set-up correctly and one of the most important things to consider in achieving this is the location. There are some significant factors to think about when selecting a location for your business and this blog will endeavour to talk you just through some of them...
New Build Plots
The size of the plot you need will, of course, depend on how many self storage units you plan on building and what size they will be. There’s little point paying a premium for a large plot of land if you are only planning on your venture being relatively small. However you need to think ahead and consider whether you may want to expand in the future and how feasible that would be.
Existing Buildings
Here at Active Supply & Design, we have converted
thousands of existing buildings into self storage facilities throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as the whole of mainland Europe.
Again, don’t just think about the short term when it comes to the size of the
building; we need to consider the medium to long term goals for expansion to
enable your business to magnify all of your investment opportunities. We can
guide you along this feasibility process using our vast knowledge of the self
storage sector across Europe.
Area
You need to make sure the location you choose is a safe area, for obvious
reasons. It is also paramount that you
locate within an area containing a good population density with a range of
demographics to be able to attract the best possible clientele. Inner-city areas have greater
commercial use and higher renter-occupied housing and thus have a higher employment
of self storage. Also areas with universities close by or with smaller housing,
have more use of self storage due to lack of space. Either way though, so long as your local
population is satisfactory when compared to the size of your self-storage
facility added together with the space of any competitors, then we can make
your self storage building work for you.
Visibility
The location you choose should also be easy to find. It is not vital that your
site can be seen directly from major roads, although this is an advantage.
Cheaper off-road properties will work time and time again so long as you can
get your signage right and make access into the building simple and straight
forward. The actual frontage of your site will make all of the difference for
creating new business.
Accessibility
The location also needs to be very easily accessible. People will not want to
store their belongings with you if it will be inconvenient to access them when
they need to.
Our team can advise you as to how best approach each and
every possible aspect of your business. From site selection to local
demographics, traffic flow to self-storage feasibility studies and beyond, we
will help you to decide what the best options are for your project.