There is a general misconception that larger players dominate self-storage acquisitions and make it hard for smaller buyers to compete. While it is true that large players like Public Storage do own the largest facilities due to high cost and difficulty in obtaining debt for those properties, the truth is that smaller players definitely have the upper hand in the majority of storage purchases. Why is that?

Many self-storage owners and buyers have the wrong impression on the relationship between occupancy and rents. Due to this misunderstanding they often miss out on important opportunities to boost revenue. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to unlock the mysterious relationship between rents and occupancy, and how to harness that knowledge for greater profits.

The second largest capital investment of any self-storage facility – after the building – are the roads and parking areas. These are an essential part of everything from access to aesthetics, and the lenders are phobic about their type and condition. They are expensive to install and to maintain. So the bottom line is that it’s important to understand what the options are for roads and repair and how those choices will impact your investment returns.

When buying a self-storage facility all financing is good financing, right? Not always. There are some unusual risks in non-traditional debt. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to review the different types of non-traditional debt and what’s good and bad about them, as well as methods to mitigate the risk.