In the vernacular of today’s fast-paced, ever-changing digital world: Multi-Story is trending. It’s getting the clicks, the likes, the hearts, the thumbs-up—and even the cool smiley face with sunglasses. In other words, multi-story self-storage is hot—and getting hotter. Once considered the preferred necessity of the urban and urbane, multi-story self-storage is on the move. As the self-storage industry grew, one-story facilities quickly became commonplace throughout the country. But that’s changing. Multi-story buildings are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons.
Land Costs Are Soaring
The demand for multi-story self-storage facilities has increased due to higher land costs, limited land availability and the amount of configurable land in urban areas. A single-story, self-storage facility generally takes up to three to seven acres, whereas a multi-story can fit on as little as one acre. This greater density makes multi-story projects more economically viable because they cost less to operate on a per-square-foot basis. There simply aren’t any flat, multi-acre lots in high-density areas any longer. What remains are infill lots and teardowns, and these challenging parcels require vertical options to yield sufficient square footage.
All About Design
The community matters. It’s all part of being neighborly and fitting in, standing out (in a good way) and enhancing your surroundings. As the multi-story facility made its move into more densely populated areas particularly among city dwellers and retail-heavy areas, multi-story facilities added stylish designs such as brick, glass, stucco and unique self-storage designs that made the multi-story structure look more like an office or apartment building. Some even have ground-floor coffee bars and general business services along with the once-considered special amenity but now one of life’s staples—the all-important WiFi.
Zoning
Getting project approval and complying with local government protocols and requirements is essential just as it would be for any other structure. However, you’ll often find that authorities won’t have a problem with the proposed multi-story building, but they may want it to look more like an office or other commercial structure than an obvious self-storage facility. For example, the local municipality may mandate that the structure includes fixtures such as windows or feature intricate designs using more than one type of material. Multi-story buildings can be built as a stand-alone structure, or moving away from a core urban environment, as a hillside/split-level construction.
Check out two different MakoRabco multi-story designs:
Security
Security is of course a consideration everywhere. However, with multi-story facilities, management can take security measures that provide for as safe an environment as possible. Essentially, management has more control over where a tenant is allowed to go in the facility. Access can be restricted by floor thereby limiting break-ins and vandalism. Additional measures such as Bluetooth locks and in-unit motion sensors offer an extra layer of security and well-being.
Before You Go...
Planning, developing and building a multi-story, self-storage structure requires both a big picture, bird’s eye view along with an examination of the finer details from aesthetics to cost to compliance ensuring a multi-level success. The goal is to keep the customers coming and make sure the facility is rented to capacity. Remember, multi-story is trending. Now may be the right time for you to hop on board.
Receive a Multi-Story Self-Storage Scope Sheet by clicking on the following link: https://www.makosteel.com/building-a-new-self-storage-business