Filling out Storage Units

[Jonathan Carpenter]

Hi there, I have a small storage unit complex in Kalispell and am looking to fill it out. As of this upcoming weekend I'm at 18% occupancy when all the surrounding area units are at 80-100% occupancy as I understand it. 

We purchased the units last year as a stopgap measure for our main business as we were looking for a new place to use as our HQ. The units were empty upon purchase.

Any tips for marketing the units to fill them up? We would love to have this property cash flowing as it is for sale and I think the sale price would dramatically increase if we had them full or close to full.

Thanks.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Jonathan Carpenter:

Hi there, I have a small storage unit complex in Kalispell and am looking to fill it out. As of this upcoming weekend I'm at 18% occupancy when all the surrounding area units are at 80-100% occupancy as I understand it. 

We purchased the units last year as a stopgap measure for our main business as we were looking for a new place to use as our HQ. The units were empty upon purchase.

Any tips for marketing the units to fill them up? We would love to have this property cash flowing as it is for sale and I think the sale price would dramatically increase if we had them full or close to full.

Thanks.

I run my facility through Easy Storage Solutions for $70 a month. It gives me everything I need to run the facility, market vacant units, accept online payments, send notices, text renters, and more. You can check out my page at www.codystorage.com

You should set up a Google business page and a facebook page, both free. When I have a lot of vacancies, I run a facebook ad until I get back up around 95% occupancy.

Here's my simple system:

1. Place a red lock on all vacant units to keep out squatters and kids.

2. Advertise the unit on my website.

3. User rents the unit online, to include making payment and electronically signing the rental agreement.

4. System automatically emails move-in instructions.

5. User removes key from lockbox, removes my lock from the storage unit, places their own lock on the storage unit, returns my key and lock.

6. I retrieve the lock at my convenience.

It's that easy. I have 150 rentals and I spend 3-4 hours a week managing the facility.