Does anyone know why there r so many self-storage shops and businesses popping up in the U.S.?

Is it just me or does it seem like there is a new self-storage business popping up on every available street corner these days? I've never seen so many and so densely populated in my life.

Lots of low-paying shops for them as well. Are Americans storing more stuff? Are these suddenly very profitable businesses? Are there any shops paying more than $25?

eta: I have heard of homeless people using them to sleep in and shower at like Planet Fitness ($10/month membership).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2019 06:36PM by shoptastic.

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Affluenza.

maybe illegal activities staged in these places?

Also. in some places, apartments and condos are being built so fast that my head practically spins when I see the progression of each project. I think the storage allotment is pretty small. The lots have to include buildings, parking, and necessary maintenance. There is not much space left for larger storage spaces. The idea is to cram 'em in like sardines in a can. Perhaps some people are storing things they can't place in their postage stamps I mean apartments and condos.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Where I live the city just put a moratorium for 180 days on building any new storage places.
They said that from June 2018 - April 2019 that 25 places had been built. Our city population is only 95,000 people. The whole county is about 220,000.

We have a new one that you BUY the unit. The regular rental unit is BOUGHT. Weird. SOmeone brought up can you sleep there... Owner said its your key you pick. I can see a can of worms in that business!

Maybe, just maybe, Americans buy too much crap and don't get rid of it when they no longer need it?

Hard work builds character and homework is good for your soul.

@MFJohnston wrote:

Maybe, just maybe, Americans buy too much crap and don't get rid of it when they no longer need it?

Yep. George Carlin had spoken of it long ago and it is worse than ever. Then they complain they have no money. Duh. RIP George!

@MFJohnston wrote:

Maybe, just maybe, Americans buy too much crap and don't get rid of it when they no longer need it?

Sure. But, I've seen a lot sprout up very recently. It could just be my imagination, but it seems disproportionate to our city growth. Maybe I'm just putting two and two together wrong or something, though.

I do know from a tour of one that the guide said they were annoyed with some people stealing electricity from the units. She told me some people would rent units and then jigger the light bulb thing in the unit and plug in their electrical stuff. I think she said or implied people were sleeping and living in these units.

Just think its interesting. I see tons of shops and see tons of these places all over town suddenly it feels like.

As I have completed storage shops, u have been surprised that many people rent storage units to use as warehouses for their businesses. A key selling point of some locations is that they will accept USPS and UPS and FedEx packages.

Shopping Southeast Pennsylvania, Delaware above the canal, and South Jersey since 2008

@CANADAMOMMY wrote:

We have a new one that you BUY the unit. The regular rental unit is BOUGHT. Weird. SOmeone brought up can you sleep there... Owner said its your key you pick. I can see a can of worms in that business!

Economically, I'm realizing it's not so crazy.

$125/month a unit
$10/month Planet Fitness membership - they have showers, free WiFi (not safe probably for business, but still...), and 24-hour access

That could save a person $1,000/month in housing. That's $12,000/year. $50,000 almost in 4 years.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2019 01:21AM by shoptastic.

Our property taxes here alone are 1k-2k/month. Maybe we should all move to storage units

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I see jobs listed for $10 and $20. The $20 are often bonused to $25 or $30 but that's it. $25 would be nice.

@shoptastic wrote:

Are there any shops paying more than $25?

@wwin wrote:

I see jobs listed for $10 and $20. The $20 are often bonused to $25 or $30 but that's it. $25 would be nice.

@shoptastic wrote:

Are there any shops paying more than $25?

ACL

eta: a shopper said she'd gotten $75 before for a self-storage shop

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2019 04:47PM by shoptastic.

The storage shops that pay $50 have a green logo and are 3 letters long. Other than this one, I've only seen them for up to $35 a pop. I can see how people would be inclined to get storage units. My husband is a pack rat hoarder. It drives me nuts, as I detest clutter.

We have a storage unit. It is basic and does not have electricity, etc. It is just for beloved things. We need a larger residence, but the storage unit costs less than moving into another place. If ever we move, we can incorporate everything in one larger place. We do not need to forsake things we love-- we just need to keep some of them with us and rotate them with others that are in storage. Of course, things we love would be someone else's nightmare. But this is okay. They do not live here!

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

I have friends who sell on e-bay and Amazon, and, yes, they use storage units for their businesses.

My sister has a house with 5 garages. Parking is at a premium where she lives, so she rents out all 5 garages. She was surprised to find one of the renters actually living in the garage. He loved it. Said he had all the privacy he needed, and he could afford the rent!

A family friend owns storage facility, he also was in the restaurant business for years. He said that its so profitable that he would never have went into the restaurant business. But as long as it is 40% occupied you are turning a profit.

But I think people want to make money but the usage depends on the individual situation.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

We have a storage unit. It is basic and does not have electricity, etc.

Are you sure about that, shopetal?

All of the ones I've toured have a light bulb of some sort. The tour guide at one, as noted earlier, told me that they sometimes found customers jiggering with the bulb and stealing electricity from the storage company. A bulb in any unit means you can potentially have electricity stolen.

@ceasesmith wrote:

I have friends who sell on e-bay and Amazon, and, yes, they use storage units for their businesses.

My sister has a house with 5 garages. Parking is at a premium where she lives, so she rents out all 5 garages. She was surprised to find one of the renters actually living in the garage. He loved it. Said he had all the privacy he needed, and he could afford the rent!

I was bored and Googled this topic. Apparently teens are having sex in these units too!

I'm guessing you could do drugs too, but people would probably smell that and it's probably easier to get caught.

In any case, there do seem to be very many reasons to have a unit rented out.

$125/month is what some hotels cost a single night!

My tour guide recommended putting plastic down whenever renting one. . .who knows what's touched the surfaces.

Planet Fitness is also exploding around me. "Free" showers a reason?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/2019 11:26PM by shoptastic.

Ya got me!

I

We have only been there during daylight hours, and I have never even thought about that. The next time I am in there, I will look around for light switches, outlets, and anything else that could be tampered with by a customer. Hmm...

@shoptastic wrote:

@Shop-et-al wrote:

We have a storage unit. It is basic and does not have electricity, etc.

Are you sure about that, shopetal?

All of the ones I've toured have a light bulb of some sort. The tour guide at one, as noted earlier, told me that they sometimes found customers jiggering with the bulb and stealing electricity from the storage company. A bulb in any unit means you can potentially have electricity stolen.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

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Does anyone know why there r so many self-storage shops and businesses popping up in the U.S.?

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