Self Storage Investors Are Adding Amenities to Boat and RV Storage That Pay Off.
“We are like eggs at present…and you cannot go on being an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.” CS Lewis
I’m quite sure CS Lewis did not have the Boat and RV Storage 
business in mind when he made this analogy, but I like the way it applies to the dynamics of change within our Industry. Twenty five years ago, Self Storage, in its infancy, was like a prequel to the “Ugly Duckling” – it was an egg. It was the era of unimaginative industrial metal structures located on equally unattractive industrial sites and then…it hatched, grew up, and evolved. Self Storage became a swan.
Boat and RV Storage, like its older sister, is starting to evolve as well. It is getting bigger, fancier, and more profitable.
Boat and RV Storage Developments are building in or adding amenities that differentiate them and bring in new business.
One of the ways these developers are finding success in the Self Storage business is by “tapping” into the mindset of a typical Boat and RV renter and providing amenities that add value to potential customers.
Some Boat and RV Storage Owners offer such a wide range of amenities and perks that they are able to draw customers across state lines. Here we see an RV Storage unit with a build in work bench and electrical outlets.
“Having a Fully Lighted Wash Bay & Dump Station for my tenants has been a great draw to my facility, and a key selling point for our management team. People like the idea that they can access the site in the early morning or late at night and not have to worry about adequate lighting while they are vacuuming, dumping, or washing down their Boat or RV” says Jeff Jenson of North Plains Boat and RV Storage located just outside of Portland, Oregon. “This, along with our secure site and friendly office, has helped draw tenants away from our competition.”
Garage Plus, in Spanaway, WA. offers unlimited potential extras to draw customers from far and wide, including; adding a mezzanine structure or “loft” space, electricity in every unit, Wi-Fi access and cable hook-ups throughout the site, customizable flooring, and a “Club House” that has to be experienced to be believed.
The Club House at Garage Plus is just one of the high end amenities that bring in a new type of clientelle.
Whether it is Wash Bay’s or Dump Stations or Mezzanines or Outlets in Every unit, – amenities are essentially conveniences – and convenience is a big component of the Self Storage Business. When you get right down to the bottom line, the need for “convenience” has been a catalyst in “hatching the egg” in this industry.
Tenants wanted sites that were more convenient to access, and we gave them that access by raising the bar with Security. They wanted the convenience of having heated or cooled space, and the industry delivered with standardized climate control systems. Tenants wanted meeting spaces, conference rooms, wine storage and better lighting….Self Storage responded.
Boat and RV Storage is changing too, and the markets demand for amenities are the driving force. What was once merely an afterthought in the form of a fenced and graveled yard is morphing into an industry that is becoming architecturally more interesting and can stand on its own merit.
