It is no secret that most self-storage facilities are all-metal constructions. Can you think of any other type of real-estate investment that shares that quality? I sure can’t! (Unless you are part of the ‘shipping box apartment’ trend, that is.) It may not be the ‘prettiest’ type of building, but there are some serious benefits from constructing this way.
Strength, Durability, and Aesthetics
If you have been involved in real estate investing in the past, something you may have come in contact with was a rotting out building. When a home begins to rot, there is no easy fix and will usually result in lots of time and money in repair. It may even stop you from buying that property if it is more of a hassle that an asset. When you have a steel construction it will not rot, warp, or crack, regardless of moisture. This is just the tip of the iceberg for the benefits of having an all-metal construction. During times of natural disasters, they are more durable because of how resilient the steel is. It has a greater strength-to-weight ratio than wood. This allows for bigger bays and wider frame spacing than wood construction. Steel has proved to be a reliable material in the construction of self-storage facilities.
If you are concerned about how the steel will look appearance wise, rest your worrying mind! Because it remains a flat surface, because of no rot or warping like wood, it is extremely easy to paint! Paint will adhere to it, in fact, much better than it would to any other surface! You can feel confident that your steel structure will be standing for decades, with the proper maintenance. When you get bored of looking at the color, you are just a paint swatch away from a quick change. No replacing boards needed!
Add Some Flair
There is no denying that a steel construction is the way to go in the construction of your self-storage facility. But if you are still looking for ways to stand out a bit more and pretty the place up, there are things you can do! Where can you customize your self-storage facility and how do you know what colors to steer clear of and which ones to choose? Here is a small guideline:
· Walls: Relatively subtle colors can be integrated into the base design.
· Roofs: Brighter colors can be introduced.
· Building accents: Very bright colors can be used in limited areas.
· Signage: A project’s “image colors” are incorporated here.
· Roll-up doors: Bright colors are now readily available and popular.
· Landscaping: The multiple subtle colors of trees, shrubs, groundcovers and flowers complement the facility design.
Planting some flowers and bushes will go a long way to adding some nice finishing touches to the property. It would be good to research the area where your facility is and seeing what kind of plants would thrive there. You wouldn’t want to plant orange trees in Vermont, nor would you want to plant something that requires a ton of attention.
I love that with self-storage investing, you don’t have to give up having a nice looking property, but you also don’t have to hinge your entire business on looking good. With some proper planning and research you can have both a perfectly functioning self-storage facility and one that looks appealing to the eye. Never think that you have to sacrifice one for the other. A business that is attractive doesn’t always mean that you need all the fanciest equipment out there. Clean, concise, and accessible is attractive, too!
Next Wednesday we will be chatting up point number 4 in why self-storage is a dime, which is endless growth- from household storage to boats. Chat soon!
