Trade magazine, Inside Self-Storage, discusses the vital question of how to build self-storage facilities.At a time in which supply-chain disruption has led to a rise in the price of real estate, building a self-storage pod is becoming more attractive by the day. The most decisive stage of building a self-storage pod is the design phaser and establishing your unit’s mix. For many people, these stages are so overwhelming that they choose to hire professionals to handle them. Yet, it’s not just developers and owners who find these stages challenging: experienced professionals find them challenges as well. Land is an asset whose supply never increases, and the pandemic has made demand even greater than before. This adds to the challenges faced by owners and developers. It’s a challenge that may force a person to get creative about design and unit mix. In this article, we will discuss a few important factors. 

Understand Local Regulations

You need to get comfortable with the area’s development regulations. There’s no point designing a layout that will run afoul of development standards. You need to understand the standards before you get to the design stage. You can find these regulations online, usually on the municipality’s website. Once you know what zone you want to build in, you will be able to identify the criteria you need to meet in order to get approval, as well as information regarding how you should deal with density restrictions, setbacks, parking and height requirements, among other things. It’s best to do the research before you meet any municipal authorities, so that you are better informed and can ask more intelligent questions. You may need to speak to a professional to better understand the often-complex regulations in this area. 

Decide on the Kind of Storage Facility You Want

As you search for the best storage pods, you need to decide on the best type for your needs. In the suburbs, people tend to pick single-storey storage facilities, with many of these pods being drive-up facilities. In the central business district, space is at a premium, and self-storage facilities tend to have multiple storeys. That’s one example of the kinds of decisions that you will have to make.

You should also analyse your competitors to see what kinds of self-storage facilities they have. This will give you an understanding of what works for people with your needs. You should hire someone to conduct a feasibility study to help you with this analysis. 

Get Professional Help

In designing the layout of your self-storage facility, you will need to hire a professional designer. This is especially important if you have never owned or developed a self-storage facility and are seeking a loan. Lenders will nearly always require you to have a professional team helping you with your project. This reduces the risk for the lender and increases the odds that of the many things that can go wrong, few of them will occur and your team will know how to deal with the problems that do arise.