School’s almost out – and for college students across the county that brings a dilemma: “Where am I going to store all this stuff?” College dorm furniture, winter and fall clothing, bulky items like skateboards, scooters, bicycles, kayaks and other large sporting equipment are all items that are prime for staying put while summer internships and vacations begin. While students and parents may be ready to offload college gear for a few months, is your facility ready?
As the need for storage increases in summertime, you have an enormous opportunity for a spike in rentals. But if you already have a highly occupied property, you could miss out. Relocatable storage units are a great option to expand your property.
Read on for tips on how to make the most of the opportunity that comes with summer lease up. And use the checklist to see how the self-storage industry’s solutions stack up.
Make It Durable
Adding storage units to your facility makes sense to meet demand. What doesn’t make sense is boxing yourself in with containers or portables that limit your ability to be successful. At Janus International Group, our Movable Additional Storage Structures (MASS) are drive-up units that are Class A building solutions constructed from the same durable components as our industry-leading traditional Janus storage units, which eliminates common problems like rusting and leakage that you sometimes find with portable containers. You also get the same look and benefits of traditional storage because we use a solid galvanized steel base and then attach the walls and components to the steel base versus concrete.
.jpg?width=200&height=202&name=MASS_Johnsonville_Open%20(1).jpg)
And with MASS units from Janus, you don’t have to be limited to the 8’ sizes of typical containers. We offer all the sizes of traditional units, and we customize the units to fit your needs. Our 10’ x 20’ units provide up to 40% more square cubic footage than 8’ x 20’ containers, and our 8’4” low eave height allows for a full 7’ tall roll-up door on any side (compared to 6’ tall doors). This provides a substantially larger opening to fit items like an RTV or a super-sized sofa.
Check the Weather
Summer weather varies by region—some are dry and hot; others are damp and rainy—but it’s important to factor your climate into the equation when considering which type of relocatable storage you should add to your facility. For instance, here in Georgia where Janus is headquartered, it’s extremely humid in the summer months and that can bring condensation to container-type products, which can damage a tenant’s belongings. With MASS units, however, our relocatable storage structures have standing-seam roofs with drip-stop condensation barriers that regulate the heat in the summer (and cold in the winter) and act as a moisture barrier.
Protect Against Break-ins
When it comes to security measures with relocatable storage, the wrong door leaves you vulnerable to burglary and other crimes because they’re easy for criminals to break into by pulling on the handle of the bottom bar. With a MASS unit, you can customize to provide the ultimate protection for your tenants’ possessions. The NS+ Door (also comes in the NS Retrokit) is our enhanced security door, the highest quality door on the market, that features added stability and support including six 9-gauge security clips on the sides of the door. MASS units are also available with smart unit locks to provide an added layer of protection that eliminates the threat of criminals using bolt cutters to break in. In fact, +95% of owner-operators report fewer break-in claims using our Nokē smart locks versus traditional padlocks.
Get It When You Need It
And here’s a big factor. How quickly can you get your new relocatable units in place and ready to be rented? Many suppliers take months because their products are coming from overseas. At Janus, we currently deliver in four to five weeks (sometimes less) and install our made-in-the-U.S. structures on-site, so you’re up and running in the time you’d still be waiting for your overseas shipment to come in from a typical portable supplier.
Solve Demand. Increase Rentals.
If you’ve been considering ways to add net rental square footage for school-driven summer leasing season, installing relocatable storage allows you to meet that demand while spiking up your rental rates. And at Janus, we offer MASS relocatable storage solutions that are far more than just a portable storage unit—it’s a Class A building that’s built without sacrificing any quality, rental square footage, safety or speed. It stands the test of time—and so will your investment.
About Our Expert
Blake Robinson is the National Sales Manager of MASS units for Janus International, the leading global manufacturer of doors, hallways, relocatable storage systems, and smart entry and facility automation solutions for the self-storage industry. He is a 30-year construction industry veteran, specializing in self-storage buildings and components since 2000. Robinson manages the sales efforts of relocatable storage units for Janus in North and South America.
.jpg?width=1000&height=100&name=JANUS_BANNER_Subscribe%20(1).jpg)
