Have you been looking into bulk storage solutions for your properties? This can feel like a task of Herculean effort, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, if you know what you’re doing, this task can actually be completed with relative ease.
We were wondering how one might be able to make this process easier and expedite it at the same time, and we were able to extrapolate seven tips and tricks that just about anyone should be able to utilize, no matter what the situation with their property might be.
This list comes from hours and hours of scouring the internet, talking to experts, and trying to do the process as easily as possible. There are a lot of resources available just for this online, so it was definitely a lot of work to find the cream of the crop when it comes to these tips and tricks.
If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that you have better things to be doing than sitting around looking through article after article to try and find the best solutions for this kind of thing. That’s why we did the footwork for you so you can spend your time doing more important things.
With any luck, by the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll have all the information you need to undergo this process without having to waste a lot of time while still being sure that you get the best possible option both as far as quality is concerned and as far as price is concerned.
So, without further ado, let’s look at the top 7 tips and tricks that we were able to gather from sources all over the internet. This should be a quick read and by the time we’re done here, you should know exactly what to do and what to look for.
1. Pay Attention to Security Features
When people want to store their things, there’s a good chance that those things matter enough to them that they’d prefer not to have those things stolen. Having things stolen is always a pain. When your things get stolen, you typically need to:
- Talk to the police to file a police report.
- File a claim with renters insurance.
- Replace the stolen items
- Consider storing your items somewhere else.
It’s not a fun process for the tenant, and it’s not a fun process for you. Making sure that thieves won’t be able to do a smash and grab, which is the most common form of theft, can ensure that the storage units will be secure enough to inspire faith in your tenants.
You could also consider installing security cameras in the storage area for additional peace of mind for both yourself and your tenants.
2. Know The Space You Want To Use For This
Before you even start looking at storage unit companies, it’s important to know exactly which space you want to use for this project. That means not only visualizing the space but also taking accurate measurements of the space.
You can do this yourself or you could pay someone to do it for you, but this is going to make finding out which storage unit companies are going to work best for the space that you have. The measurements that you collect will also help make other parts of the process move a lot more smoothly.
In fact, most companies will want those measurements before they are willing to talk to you at all. They need those measurements in order to accurately make plans with you on how to get the right kind of storage installed in your apartment complex.
It doesn’t matter if the space you want to use is big or small, knowing the exact dimensions of the space upfront will save you a lot of back and forth with the storage unit company. That can save you days or even weeks, depending on how busy the company you’re talking to is.
3. Think Of How You’ll Market The Storage To Tenants
You have to think of what you’re going to do after the storage units are installed. The only way that you’re going to get any sort of a return on investment from this is if your tenants are willing to rent the storage units from you. It’s of the utmost importance that you know how to market the units.
Of course, in many cases, storage units market themselves. “Here’s a place you can store your stuff for a nominal fee.” but that could potentially not be enough to get some people to be on board. Here are some good ways to market your storage units to your tenants:
- Eco-friendly (if the units are, in fact, eco-friendly)
- Closer to home than an off-site storage facility
- Secure
- Fair priced
There are a lot of other ways that you can market these units to your tenants. Marking requires a bit of creativity, but if you put some thought into it you could see a higher conversion rate.
4. Consider Beautification Of The Storage Area
People like pretty things. This is just a fact of life. Lots of people are willing to travel hundreds and hundreds of miles to go see beautiful sites like Delicate Arch, the Grand Cayon, Joshua Tree Park, the list goes on and on indefinitely.
That being said, doing small things to make the storage area a little prettier can have a huge impact on the likelihood of your tenants wanting to use the storage area. People just like being around pretty things. There are a lot of ways you can do this:
- Choose storage units/paint that have a color scheme that’s appealing to the eye.
- Grow a small garden with native plants nearby to add a bit more color and help the local ecosystem.
- Think about the layout of the storage units. They should be inviting and not make tenants feel trapped within a maze of storage units.
5. Do Your Research
Finding the best possible units for your property can be challenging. That means that you need to make sure that you’re doing as much research as possible so you can make sure that you’re getting the best of the best. The cream of the crop may be somewhat elusive but it’s not like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
The reason why this is so important is that there are a lot of companies that would be happy to pass off shoddy storage units for high prices, while there are also companies that value providing high-quality storage units at affordable prices.
The only way to know the difference is to do your research, so make sure that you’re doing as much research as you can. Take your time for this part, it’s better for this process to take a little longer than it is to rush into something that’s not worth the money.
6. Shop Around
Money is something that every single business, government, and individual has to worry about to some extent. Unless you’re Elon Musk, there’s a good chance that you have to make sure that the things you do fit within your budget so you don’t overspend.
Shopping around is important for finding good storage units at good prices. If you just choose a single company and decide to go full-throttle with them, you might not get the deal you need for this project. There are usually companies out there that provide a better product at a lower price.
7. Get Estimates Early On
The earlier you get estimates in this process the better. Whether you’re ready to move on to the next step or not, estimates are incredibly important to collect, preferably right after you get the dimensions of the area you want to dedicate to storage.
Getting the estimate early on will help with literally every other step of the process. For example, if you know roughly what a company wants to charge you, you can have that extra bit of context when you’re doing your research on exactly what they’re charging you for.
It also helps the shopping around part of this process when you get estimates upfront. Remember, an estimate isn’t signing a contract with the company. It’s just getting a rough price for what they would charge for the product.
Most companies are happy to give estimates. Sometimes that involves having to have someone physically come look at the space, but in most cases, this can be accomplished over email or phone.
Find the Right Solutions for Bulk Storage
It might seem intimidating to try and find storage solutions for a property, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little know-how, you can make this process a lot easier both in the short and long run. That’s incredibly useful for this kind of thing.
Plenty of properties already have storage units available for their tenants, and doing so in your apartment complex can make a huge difference both in the lives of your tenants and in your return on investment every year.