We live in a world where new things are being put on the market every single day. Sometimes, those things are simple things like fancy hair brushes. Sometimes they’re something more revolutionary like parking space storage.
Now, this type of storage isn’t really “new,” per se, but it has recently been making some pretty big waves in the property owner community. That’s been the case for a simple reason, it’s easy, convenient, and effective both for you and your tenants.
You might be wondering how something as simple as a storage solution for apartment complexes could possibly be sure a good thing, and we’re here to explain exactly why this type of over the car storage is getting so much attention recently.
In fact, we’ll even be able to look at some of the ways that you could market them to your tenants to ensure a higher return on investment for this particular venture. Whether you have one property or a whole portfolio, this kind of storage could end up being a lot of help for your property.
So, buckle in because today we’re going to be diving deep into the information that we’ve been able to collect from all over the internet about storage solutions that you could easily implement into your property.
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Built Different
One of the biggest reasons why apartment complexes avoid these kinds of storage solutions on their property is that a lot of these units are well-known to be easy targets for thieves. It’s true and we wouldn’t deny it, there are a lot of storage solutions that get hit by thieves.
The biggest thing that thieves look for is something quick that they can be in, out, and on their way before anyone is the wiser. This type of crime is typically referred to as a smash and grab and it is by far the most common kind of theft to occur anywhere in the world.
That’s because most common thieves are opportunistic at best. They’ll take an opening that they see and run with it. The reason why we’re happy to share this with you is that the kind of lockers that are often targeted by thieves are far from the only kind of locker on the market.
In fact, you can find all sorts of options for this kind of thing. The kind of locker that is most commonly targeted is made out of a metal mesh that is really easy to cut open. All you need to do to deter the majority of thieves are not going to go for something like that.
That’s why over-car storage is such a great solution for your tenant’s storage problems. Most companies that provide this kind of storage wouldn’t use a metal mesh because they wouldn’t be able to trust it to be strong enough to not just fall all over the car.
In fact, most of these companies try to integrate the over car storage into the building itself, making it a lot more sturdy in case there are any major issues. That’s great news if you’re looking for solid storage for your tenants.
These kinds of lockers are not easy to break into because they have metal doors, padlocks, and are made of strong enough materials to keep even the most persistent petty thief out for long enough that it keeps everything within safe.
In fact, the fact that they’re designed to not fall down on top of cars helps make them that much more secure for your clients, but just because they’re difficult to access for thieves doesn’t mean that they’re difficult to access for your tenants. It’s just a few simple steps:
- Open the lock on the unit.
- Open the door.
- Access the things that are stored within the unit.
- Close the door.
- Lock the lock on the unit.
It’s really that easy and only takes a few minutes for someone to get their things in or out of. That’s why they’re such a big hit.
Marketing Over Car Storage To Your Tenants
Some people might mistakenly believe that marketing one of these storage units to their tenants would be a difficult task and we are here today to tell you that it isn’t. In fact, over car storage units are incredibly easy to market to tenants and you could easily see a good return on investment.
There are a few points that we see most landlords and property managers use to try and sell the units to tenants:
- Keep seasonal items close at hand so it’s not a hassle when the seasons change.
- Save gas driving to and from a storage facility.
- Store guest furniture like blankets, pillows, and air mattresses without having to use up your in-apartment storage space.
- Eco-friendly construction (assuming you go with a company that provides eco-friendly construction)
- Know that your things are safe and nearby.
- Storage convenience that’s hard to match.
The thing is, most people know exactly what they want from their on-site storage solutions. They want convenience, security, and to feel as if they’re making a good choice for who they decide to store their things with. That last sentence is exactly why eco-friendly lockers are such a great idea.
In a lot of cases, you don’t even need to market the storage lockers because most people have things that they want to store but don’t want to have to go out of their way to rent out a storage unit at some off-site facility.
In fact, you typically only have a few types of tenants when it comes to this kind of thing:
- People with a lot of stuff that would love the additional storage.
- Minimalists that like having extra storage to keep their space a certain aesthetic.
- People that have too much stuff but wouldn’t want to use any sort of additional storage.
- Die-hard minimalists that don’t have enough stuff to justify a storage unit.
- People with a moderate amount of stuff that would enjoy having someplace to store the things they aren’t using.
Of course, it is a spectrum and you’ll find people at all points along the spectrum, but that doesn’t mean that the majority of tenants won’t be willing to use this kind of storage. In fact, most properties that get these kinds of units see that they get filled up pretty quickly.
Other Options for Your Property
Maybe you want to get some kind of storage unit but over-car storage wouldn’t work out for your apartment complex for one reason or another. Maybe there isn’t enough clearance over the cars to make this kind of thing work, or maybe you have a parking lot rather than a parking garage.
If that’s the case, you’re going to need some other kind of option. The good news here is that so long as you have some extra space on your property, there’s an option that’s going to work for you. In fact, there’s actually a really good option available for you.
One of the best is storage lockers that sit on the ground. You can get these ranging from the size of a small gym locker to the size of a closet, making them an excellent solution no matter how much space you have and how many units you’re trying to build.
With the nicer lockers, which are usually about the same price if not cheaper than the lower quality lockers, you can even pick the color of the door. That can be pretty useful if you want to beautify the space where the lockers are kept.
These units are, as we’ve mentioned, a lot like lockers which makes them very secure. Much like with the over car storage, if you get a nicer version of these lockers you’ll get metal doors and solid construction that deters the vast majority of thieves.
If your tenants feel like the storage is secure, it’s more likely that more people will want to rent them out from you. That’s an excellent thing if you’re looking to turn these lockers into another source of income on your property.
Most people put these kinds of units in their parking areas as well, and the construction of them allows for them to be pretty sturdy even if someone accidentally backs into one of them. They’re a great choice for you and can definitely make your tenants happy if you use them correctly.
Adding Storage to Your Property
As a landlord or property manager, it can be difficult to know for sure what additions you can make to your property that your tenants will really enjoy. Will they appreciate the addition of a gate, or maybe an exercise facility? It’s hard to know.
Fortunately, it’s easy enough to know that the majority of people need some sort of storage because things take up space. When you have limited space and a lot of things, storage units can be the solution that you’ve been looking for to make your apartment feel that much less cluttered.