11 ms·

Self-storage: The men who got rich selling empty space

94 points by timw6n 12y ago

ColinWright 12y ago
From the article: But there is one clear lesson from the storage story. If you want to be a millionaire, you'd be well advised to look beyond what's sexy. Quoting from Paul Graham: There are great startup ideas lying around unexploited right under our noses. One reason we don't see them is a phenomenon I call "schlep blindness." "Schlep" was originally a Yiddish word but has passed into general use in the US. It means a tedious, unpleasant task. -- http://paulgraham.com/schlep.html http://paulgraham.com/schlep.html
- rayiner 12y ago
  It's also a great example of the general principle that it's good business to try and figure out how to disproportionately leverage public resources. Say police protection and property enforcement was privatized. Under such circumstances, the cost of security for a storage facility would be substantial. But in a society where the public pays for security, it's "free" to create a business that presents an outsized target for thieves.
  - PeterWhittaker 12y ago
    Hardly. Physical security at self-storage facilities is comparable to that at non-classified government installations - at least the ones I've seen in Canada: Perimeter fencing with logged access control, CCTVs and live monitoring, individual locks on storage areas, etc. Add the cost of insurance, bonding, etc., and there is absolutely no "free" involved.
    - rayiner 12y ago
      That's the security expenditure assuming the backdrop of government enforcement of property rights. Imagine running a storage facility in a place like Somalia. You'd need way more than a perimeter fence and monitoring! When my family lived in Bangladesh, we once had a band of thieves (in a van/bus with guns) try to break down our gate. One of those would roll through the security at your typical storage facility.
      - PeterWhittaker 12y ago
        Not to be belabour the point, but in a place like Somalia, gun toting labour is cheap. You'd need two or three "shift supervisors" (overseers who keep the labour in line, really), and you'd pay them more, but overall, the teens with AKs and the tough-as-nails-and-mean-as-hell overseers would likely end up costing less than one pays in taxes. Now add the cut to the local warlord, who "respects" your area so long as you "respect" his due. Oh, wait, that's starting to look a lot like taxation, police services, rights enforcement. Just without the actual rule of law, good governance, and an independent judiciary. Really, I do not understand this notion that police services, etc., are free. We pay for them with every dollar we earn and every dollar we spend. As the man said, I like paying taxes, with them I buy civilization.
        deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
  - spindritf 12y ago
    Lack of police protection would also greatly drive up the demand for secure storage.
  - pjc50 12y ago
    You couldn't run this business in a libertarian state; nobody would trust you not to steal their stuff, and almost everyone would be so poor as to not afford your service. This is why there isn't a thriving self-storage business in Somalia.
AlexMuir 12y ago
"Danny Dorling, professor of geography at Oxford University, says we have six times more "stuff" than the generation before us." I run a storage business and I can say that this is no longer the case with the younger generation. We used to store boxes of CDs, Videos, 14" Colour TVs, Desktop Computers, Hifis. Now all this is in a laptop and mobile phone, which people just take with them. We now insist on up-front payment as the items people store are worthless to sell. 90% of what we store is now boxes/suitcases of clothes and books.
- chiph 12y ago
  I had a 10x20' storage unit for years -- it was full of all the stuff you mentioned - CDs, stereo, furniture, an astoundingly heavy 34" tube TV... All the media went digital (with multiple backups!) and everything else was either sold on Craigslist, donated, or hauled away to the landfill. Now I can move by just renting a small trailer.
  - mcmullen 12y ago
    Why didn't you just sell the non-essential things and make room for the rest? I only ask because I have lived in 7 different properties since starting University and now (almost three years into career) and I literally take what I need and chuck the rest; one could probably describe me as the 'anti-hoarder'.
    - chiph 12y ago
      They'd been in storage for over 3 years and I hadn't needed to use them, therefore I didn't need them at all. I kept some things that were keepsakes, but the rest ... out with it all. Which also saved me $135 a month in rental costs.
- josefresco 12y ago
  "We now insist on up-front payment as the items people store are worthless to sell." Was this ever different? Boxes of CD's, videos and tube TV's don't sound that valuable. But reading into your comment, it seems it wasn't always like this...
kcovia 12y ago
Whether it's for economic (less spending money), technological (mp3s are a lot smaller than CDs), or simply cultural reasons, the younger generation seems to have less stuff. I see an opportunity in 5-10 years...microapartments in former self-storage space?
- parenthesis 12y ago
  Some people already run mail-order businesses from self-storage units: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25336446 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25336446
  - Jtsummers 12y ago
    This seems like a more likely outcome than living spaces. If for no other reason than a lack of water/electric outlets for home use. Air-conditioned storage units could make decent (depending on location) store fronts as well, in a sort of industrial mall sort of way.
- jpindar 12y ago
  It's hard enough to get the governmental approval of microapartments in buildings with more normal residential design. (Depending on the location of course.)
rabino 12y ago
The title is lame. He didn't get rich selling empty space. He got rich selling what's enclosing that empty space.
- frogpelt 12y ago
  I thought so too. You could call undeveloped, beach-front property empty space too, but it would be disingenuous.
bluedino 12y ago
I never understood friends who put things in storage. It was their used furniture and things they never used. But they'd gladly play $100/month to store it away for 2-3 years at a time. You're better off just selling it and buy new (used) things in a year or two. Not to mention the hassle of moving things to and from the storage unit!
- jdeibele 12y ago
  I've only rented a storage unit a couple of times but for me there were two factors: one was knowing the history of everything that was in it. And the other was that I had chosen those items. I liked knowing that nothing was damaged in ways that weren't easily visible, like something you bought used might be. And I don't enjoy shopping so trying to get something just like what I had is/was difficult. And it's getting harder: manufacturers change models at an incredible rate. You have to read reviews all over again, etc.
- jtbigwoo 12y ago
  I've a storage unit when selling my home. Apparently buyers like to look at nearly-empty shelves and closets.
pdeuchler 12y ago
This article misses the entire point of the self storage game, in that it's all about real estate. I'm not sure of the structure they have over in the UK but I'm quite sure it's the same type of thing, considering that land over there is much more valuable. Here in the US you'll find a vast majority of the land used for self-storage is owned by either investment firms specializing in commercial/self-storage real estate, MLP's (Master Limited Partnerships), or REIT's (Real Estate Investment Trusts). There are a lot of nuances to it, but essentially these are tax vehicles that buy up a bunch of not particularly sexy land, but in an industrious location that has long term potential. The issue then becomes what to do with the land while you sit on it, and the answer to that is self-storage. Self-storage warehouses are incredibly cheap to build and operate, often times the largest cost is insurance (although that's not saying much nowadays). Many MLP's/REIT's either own their own self-storage company, own a controlling share in one, or at least own a good percentage of one, or the self-storage company in and of itself is an investment firm wrapped in a thin veneer of self-storage. Thus, on top of the rent you can get a nice cut of the storage profits. It's a fantastic racket if you can get momentum, after a certain point the money essentially prints itself and you still have control of a massive chunk of land to boot. The self-storage business is also very predictable, and highly tuned, so the investment returns on both the land and the storage business are very conducive to long term wealth building.
- larrys 12y ago
  I'd be curious where you are getting that narrative from. It differs from what I am familiar with for sure in terms of knowledge of this industry. Not that that's not the play of some REIT's (or what they say they are doing but not really doing) of course but I wonder how many of the locations fall into that category vs. just "after a certain point the money essentially prints itself". Which sounds pretty good. [1] (What you are saying is typically done though with parking lots in cities for sure for various reasons.) "and you still have control of a massive chunk of land to boot" Unless you have land in a particularly valuable location the fact that there is a building on it is going to contradict having someone purchase it for development purposes. It's being used. In other words "nothing to see here move along". And if it was in a super valuable upcoming area that would already be priced into the land cost and might be prohibitive. I'd also would like to know what the time frame is for something like this to actually happen and how many times it has actually been done. That is, out of the entire self storage industry, how many locations (multi level for example - those larger buildings) have been raised for a higher use (with every tenant thrown out)? And something else built on the land which generates more revenue. Where a comparable piece of empty land was not available? Of course it might be something that the REIT says marketing wise in order to enhance the appearance of the value of their properties. But to me it seems that the reality of whether that would actually happen (and how often) might be entirely different. That said any links to this would be nice if you can pass along. [1] For self storage that I am also familiar with they predictably raise the price every year. And it's not easy to move things out (you need a truck or you need to dispose of something.)
marincounty 12y ago
If you have to rent a storage unit get the smallest unit, and get rid of it quick. I used to work for this thieving industry. The owners know once you move your stuff in; they have a customer for life. As you get older you will accumulate some good stuff, but make sure it can all fit in a closet sized unit. Keep tools of your trade. Keep valuable jewelry, and silver. As for books, it's my sore spot--I have a small library. If I needed to part with them, and I just might ave too, I'd keep a valuable first editions, and two milk crates full of must have refrence books. The indusrtry is a slimy business. The owners take advantage of hoarders, sedimental types, and the desperate. They literally have industry seminars where they discuss making more money on late fees. The also ask for your S.S. number when renting(I think that is illegial?). Don't take your frustrations out on the country guy--he's just a low paid worker. If you do plan on skipping out on the highest per square foot rent in the world--get your stuff out before the lock goes on. Use their dumpster and throw 90 percent of your garbage out. Yes--most of you store garbage. Women store to many linens, books, and Chinese made furniture, and the inherited sewing machine(keep the machine, throw away the cabinet). Men store too many redundant tools, or huge tools they never use. Keep the suitcase Tig/stick welder. You don't need three welders. Keep the Snap-on tools, but sell the huge cabinet. Sell all antiques, and give away the cheap furniture including the matress. Everyone seems to cling to there matress? My final thought--sit down and roughly figure out how much your stuff is worth. Figure out how many months if rent will replace your possessions? For 95 percent of you it's a couple of months rent. Good luck. Oh yea, I would like to see all rents due on the first of the month. They prorate on the date you move in. Why--so you will forget to ake you payment, and have to pay a late charge. Forgo the rental insurance. Sue the mini storage in small claims court if they slip up in any fashion( I.e. have video cameras, but don't have the tape of your unit being broken into. As to the mini storage owners--yes--you are extorting people at a very stressful time in their lives; you are just like pawn Shop Owners. When you filthy Lookers are counting your ill gotten gains, keep Sundays open, and drop by a local church--you might hear something interesting.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- brazzy 12y ago
  It's not possible because those are considered "common heritage of mankind", not to be owned by nations, corporations or individuals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty Also, it would be very difficult in practice to precisely and unequivocally define a specific area of empty interplanetary or interstellar space.
frogpelt 12y ago
Self-storage is quite an interesting phenomenon. The total self storage rentable space in the US is now 2.3 billion square feet.[1] That's enough space for every American to have over 7 square feet in which to stand. In fact, that's probably enough to lay down. To be sure, a lot of other men and women got rich before the storage men, in order for us to have more stuff than will fit in our houses. 1. http://www.selfstorage.org/ssa/content/navigationmenu/aboutssa/factsheet/ http://www.selfstorage.org/ssa/content/navigationmenu/abouts...
hf 12y ago
Coincidentally, this is something I have researched just last week for my area. I would love to store boxes upon boxes of things that I will need in another two years (eg. baby clothes), will sell eventually, or plain don't want around[0]. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that the concept of self-storage presented here, quite similar in spirit to my local self-storage providers (henceforth: SSPs), is not reconcilable with my use-cases and fundamental needs. To wit: All SSPs that I found were located on the outskirts of town. "Industrial estate" would describe it well. This calls for car ownership (or rental, at least) and huge transfer volumes. But I want to spirit away a smallish box every month or so. I would like to carry it (perhaps in a bicycle trailer) around the corner. In short: I want those SSPs to be as ubiquitous as libraries. Now, are there cities were a system not unlike to the one outlined above exists? If so, are hacker/maker spaces similarly well-distributed? [0] Books, chiefly by virtue of their tactility, belong solidly into the latter category, as non-intuitive as it may sound: these cellulose blighters are everywhere and frankly cumbersome to circumnavigate by now.
- roel_v 12y ago
  Well how much would you pay for it? 10x what it costs to store it at the outskirts of town? Why don't you take a taxi every month to go there?
- JaakkoP 12y ago
  Hope you don't mind me asking if you live in Texas? I'd love to ask feedback about my storage on demand startup remotegarage.com, as it sounds like it would serve your needs better than traditional self-storage?
  - hf 12y ago
    I don't want to sound overly enthusiastic, but I do think that this fits the bill 90% of the way. Great presentation[0]; pricing explicit and almost exactly what I would have imagined; and, of course, sane pick-up and delivery. I even hunted around for a spelling mistake to have something on the opposite side of the ledger. No such luck. Alas, I'm a few thousand miles short of becoming a valued customer. Now, hopefully, you're wondering about that last 10%: It's point 2 in your "How it works": > Pack your things carefully and take pictures of the contents. I'm sure legal would have a word or two to say about that, but: how much would it set me back if you did that, together with providing a rough description of the box' contents? This, then, would appear on my account page's List of Boxes. The details are devilish, of course, and supreme caution is indicated: you don't want a prominent "take-a-peek" option to adversely affect the trust of your more privacy-conscious clients. [0] Which, incidentally, doesn't appeal to me, as I am solidly in the tarsnap aesthetics camp, but we both know what to make of that.
robmaceachern 12y ago
Any post about storage units should reference this George Carlin routine http://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18 http://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18
tpowell 12y ago
I don't know if they're international or not yet (I doubt it), but an Austin startup is trying to professionalize this unsexy market: http://www.sparefoot.com/ http://www.sparefoot.com/
- thinkling 12y ago
  The web-enabled home-delivery version of storage: http://www.storrage.com/ http://www.storrage.com/ You don't get your own storage unit; instead, they pick up labeled tubs from your house, and when you want them again you can request a specific one to be delivered. They don't take furniture and such. (Disclaimer: I'm not connected to this company in any way, not even as a customer.0
theorique 12y ago
Tyler Durden says: "The things you own, end up owning you."
grecy 12y ago
I spent 2 years living in rural Central and South America, and of all the things that shocked me on my return to North America, the sheer amount of stuff people have was by far the biggest. People have multiple cars, boats, quads, kayaks, tvs, couches, RVs, snowboards, skis... the list is endless. I was dumbfounded that people have so much stuff, they pay money to put that stuff someplace.
rajacombinator 12y ago
What a silly headline. All housing is empty space when sold too.
ambrop7 12y ago
I read most of the article but I'm still not sure: What is self-storage? How is it different from just selling storage space?

94 points by timw6n 12y ago

From the article: But there is one clear lesson from the storage story. If you want to be a millionaire, you'd be well advised to look beyond what's sexy. Quoting from Paul Graham: There are great startup ideas lying around unexploited right under our noses. One reason we don't see them is a phenomenon I call "schlep blindness." "Schlep" was originally a Yiddish word but has passed into general use in the US. It means a tedious, unpleasant task. -- http://paulgraham.com/schlep.html http://paulgraham.com/schlep.html

rayiner 12y ago
It's also a great example of the general principle that it's good business to try and figure out how to disproportionately leverage public resources. Say police protection and property enforcement was privatized. Under such circumstances, the cost of security for a storage facility would be substantial. But in a society where the public pays for security, it's "free" to create a business that presents an outsized target for thieves.
- PeterWhittaker 12y ago
  Hardly. Physical security at self-storage facilities is comparable to that at non-classified government installations - at least the ones I've seen in Canada: Perimeter fencing with logged access control, CCTVs and live monitoring, individual locks on storage areas, etc. Add the cost of insurance, bonding, etc., and there is absolutely no "free" involved.
  - rayiner 12y ago
    That's the security expenditure assuming the backdrop of government enforcement of property rights. Imagine running a storage facility in a place like Somalia. You'd need way more than a perimeter fence and monitoring! When my family lived in Bangladesh, we once had a band of thieves (in a van/bus with guns) try to break down our gate. One of those would roll through the security at your typical storage facility.
    - PeterWhittaker 12y ago
      Not to be belabour the point, but in a place like Somalia, gun toting labour is cheap. You'd need two or three "shift supervisors" (overseers who keep the labour in line, really), and you'd pay them more, but overall, the teens with AKs and the tough-as-nails-and-mean-as-hell overseers would likely end up costing less than one pays in taxes. Now add the cut to the local warlord, who "respects" your area so long as you "respect" his due. Oh, wait, that's starting to look a lot like taxation, police services, rights enforcement. Just without the actual rule of law, good governance, and an independent judiciary. Really, I do not understand this notion that police services, etc., are free. We pay for them with every dollar we earn and every dollar we spend. As the man said, I like paying taxes, with them I buy civilization.
      - deleted 12y ago
        [deleted]
- spindritf 12y ago
  Lack of police protection would also greatly drive up the demand for secure storage.
- pjc50 12y ago
  You couldn't run this business in a libertarian state; nobody would trust you not to steal their stuff, and almost everyone would be so poor as to not afford your service. This is why there isn't a thriving self-storage business in Somalia.

AlexMuir 12y ago

"Danny Dorling, professor of geography at Oxford University, says we have six times more "stuff" than the generation before us." I run a storage business and I can say that this is no longer the case with the younger generation. We used to store boxes of CDs, Videos, 14" Colour TVs, Desktop Computers, Hifis. Now all this is in a laptop and mobile phone, which people just take with them. We now insist on up-front payment as the items people store are worthless to sell. 90% of what we store is now boxes/suitcases of clothes and books.

chiph 12y ago
I had a 10x20' storage unit for years -- it was full of all the stuff you mentioned - CDs, stereo, furniture, an astoundingly heavy 34" tube TV... All the media went digital (with multiple backups!) and everything else was either sold on Craigslist, donated, or hauled away to the landfill. Now I can move by just renting a small trailer.
- mcmullen 12y ago
  Why didn't you just sell the non-essential things and make room for the rest? I only ask because I have lived in 7 different properties since starting University and now (almost three years into career) and I literally take what I need and chuck the rest; one could probably describe me as the 'anti-hoarder'.
  - chiph 12y ago
    They'd been in storage for over 3 years and I hadn't needed to use them, therefore I didn't need them at all. I kept some things that were keepsakes, but the rest ... out with it all. Which also saved me $135 a month in rental costs.
josefresco 12y ago
"We now insist on up-front payment as the items people store are worthless to sell." Was this ever different? Boxes of CD's, videos and tube TV's don't sound that valuable. But reading into your comment, it seems it wasn't always like this...

kcovia 12y ago

Whether it's for economic (less spending money), technological (mp3s are a lot smaller than CDs), or simply cultural reasons, the younger generation seems to have less stuff. I see an opportunity in 5-10 years...microapartments in former self-storage space?

parenthesis 12y ago
Some people already run mail-order businesses from self-storage units: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25336446 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25336446
- Jtsummers 12y ago
  This seems like a more likely outcome than living spaces. If for no other reason than a lack of water/electric outlets for home use. Air-conditioned storage units could make decent (depending on location) store fronts as well, in a sort of industrial mall sort of way.
jpindar 12y ago
It's hard enough to get the governmental approval of microapartments in buildings with more normal residential design. (Depending on the location of course.)

rabino 12y ago

The title is lame. He didn't get rich selling empty space. He got rich selling what's enclosing that empty space.

frogpelt 12y ago
I thought so too. You could call undeveloped, beach-front property empty space too, but it would be disingenuous.

bluedino 12y ago

I never understood friends who put things in storage. It was their used furniture and things they never used. But they'd gladly play $100/month to store it away for 2-3 years at a time. You're better off just selling it and buy new (used) things in a year or two. Not to mention the hassle of moving things to and from the storage unit!

jdeibele 12y ago
I've only rented a storage unit a couple of times but for me there were two factors: one was knowing the history of everything that was in it. And the other was that I had chosen those items. I liked knowing that nothing was damaged in ways that weren't easily visible, like something you bought used might be. And I don't enjoy shopping so trying to get something just like what I had is/was difficult. And it's getting harder: manufacturers change models at an incredible rate. You have to read reviews all over again, etc.
jtbigwoo 12y ago
I've a storage unit when selling my home. Apparently buyers like to look at nearly-empty shelves and closets.

pdeuchler 12y ago

This article misses the entire point of the self storage game, in that it's all about real estate. I'm not sure of the structure they have over in the UK but I'm quite sure it's the same type of thing, considering that land over there is much more valuable. Here in the US you'll find a vast majority of the land used for self-storage is owned by either investment firms specializing in commercial/self-storage real estate, MLP's (Master Limited Partnerships), or REIT's (Real Estate Investment Trusts). There are a lot of nuances to it, but essentially these are tax vehicles that buy up a bunch of not particularly sexy land, but in an industrious location that has long term potential. The issue then becomes what to do with the land while you sit on it, and the answer to that is self-storage. Self-storage warehouses are incredibly cheap to build and operate, often times the largest cost is insurance (although that's not saying much nowadays). Many MLP's/REIT's either own their own self-storage company, own a controlling share in one, or at least own a good percentage of one, or the self-storage company in and of itself is an investment firm wrapped in a thin veneer of self-storage. Thus, on top of the rent you can get a nice cut of the storage profits. It's a fantastic racket if you can get momentum, after a certain point the money essentially prints itself and you still have control of a massive chunk of land to boot. The self-storage business is also very predictable, and highly tuned, so the investment returns on both the land and the storage business are very conducive to long term wealth building.

larrys 12y ago
I'd be curious where you are getting that narrative from. It differs from what I am familiar with for sure in terms of knowledge of this industry. Not that that's not the play of some REIT's (or what they say they are doing but not really doing) of course but I wonder how many of the locations fall into that category vs. just "after a certain point the money essentially prints itself". Which sounds pretty good. [1] (What you are saying is typically done though with parking lots in cities for sure for various reasons.) "and you still have control of a massive chunk of land to boot" Unless you have land in a particularly valuable location the fact that there is a building on it is going to contradict having someone purchase it for development purposes. It's being used. In other words "nothing to see here move along". And if it was in a super valuable upcoming area that would already be priced into the land cost and might be prohibitive. I'd also would like to know what the time frame is for something like this to actually happen and how many times it has actually been done. That is, out of the entire self storage industry, how many locations (multi level for example - those larger buildings) have been raised for a higher use (with every tenant thrown out)? And something else built on the land which generates more revenue. Where a comparable piece of empty land was not available? Of course it might be something that the REIT says marketing wise in order to enhance the appearance of the value of their properties. But to me it seems that the reality of whether that would actually happen (and how often) might be entirely different. That said any links to this would be nice if you can pass along. [1] For self storage that I am also familiar with they predictably raise the price every year. And it's not easy to move things out (you need a truck or you need to dispose of something.)

marincounty 12y ago

If you have to rent a storage unit get the smallest unit, and get rid of it quick. I used to work for this thieving industry. The owners know once you move your stuff in; they have a customer for life. As you get older you will accumulate some good stuff, but make sure it can all fit in a closet sized unit. Keep tools of your trade. Keep valuable jewelry, and silver. As for books, it's my sore spot--I have a small library. If I needed to part with them, and I just might ave too, I'd keep a valuable first editions, and two milk crates full of must have refrence books. The indusrtry is a slimy business. The owners take advantage of hoarders, sedimental types, and the desperate. They literally have industry seminars where they discuss making more money on late fees. The also ask for your S.S. number when renting(I think that is illegial?). Don't take your frustrations out on the country guy--he's just a low paid worker. If you do plan on skipping out on the highest per square foot rent in the world--get your stuff out before the lock goes on. Use their dumpster and throw 90 percent of your garbage out. Yes--most of you store garbage. Women store to many linens, books, and Chinese made furniture, and the inherited sewing machine(keep the machine, throw away the cabinet). Men store too many redundant tools, or huge tools they never use. Keep the suitcase Tig/stick welder. You don't need three welders. Keep the Snap-on tools, but sell the huge cabinet. Sell all antiques, and give away the cheap furniture including the matress. Everyone seems to cling to there matress? My final thought--sit down and roughly figure out how much your stuff is worth. Figure out how many months if rent will replace your possessions? For 95 percent of you it's a couple of months rent. Good luck. Oh yea, I would like to see all rents due on the first of the month. They prorate on the date you move in. Why--so you will forget to ake you payment, and have to pay a late charge. Forgo the rental insurance. Sue the mini storage in small claims court if they slip up in any fashion( I.e. have video cameras, but don't have the tape of your unit being broken into. As to the mini storage owners--yes--you are extorting people at a very stressful time in their lives; you are just like pawn Shop Owners. When you filthy Lookers are counting your ill gotten gains, keep Sundays open, and drop by a local church--you might hear something interesting.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

brazzy 12y ago
It's not possible because those are considered "common heritage of mankind", not to be owned by nations, corporations or individuals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Space_Treaty Also, it would be very difficult in practice to precisely and unequivocally define a specific area of empty interplanetary or interstellar space.

frogpelt 12y ago

Self-storage is quite an interesting phenomenon. The total self storage rentable space in the US is now 2.3 billion square feet.[1] That's enough space for every American to have over 7 square feet in which to stand. In fact, that's probably enough to lay down. To be sure, a lot of other men and women got rich before the storage men, in order for us to have more stuff than will fit in our houses. 1. http://www.selfstorage.org/ssa/content/navigationmenu/aboutssa/factsheet/ http://www.selfstorage.org/ssa/content/navigationmenu/abouts...

hf 12y ago

Coincidentally, this is something I have researched just last week for my area. I would love to store boxes upon boxes of things that I will need in another two years (eg. baby clothes), will sell eventually, or plain don't want around[0]. Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that the concept of self-storage presented here, quite similar in spirit to my local self-storage providers (henceforth: SSPs), is not reconcilable with my use-cases and fundamental needs. To wit: All SSPs that I found were located on the outskirts of town. "Industrial estate" would describe it well. This calls for car ownership (or rental, at least) and huge transfer volumes. But I want to spirit away a smallish box every month or so. I would like to carry it (perhaps in a bicycle trailer) around the corner. In short: I want those SSPs to be as ubiquitous as libraries. Now, are there cities were a system not unlike to the one outlined above exists? If so, are hacker/maker spaces similarly well-distributed? [0] Books, chiefly by virtue of their tactility, belong solidly into the latter category, as non-intuitive as it may sound: these cellulose blighters are everywhere and frankly cumbersome to circumnavigate by now.

roel_v 12y ago
Well how much would you pay for it? 10x what it costs to store it at the outskirts of town? Why don't you take a taxi every month to go there?
JaakkoP 12y ago
Hope you don't mind me asking if you live in Texas? I'd love to ask feedback about my storage on demand startup remotegarage.com, as it sounds like it would serve your needs better than traditional self-storage?
- hf 12y ago
  I don't want to sound overly enthusiastic, but I do think that this fits the bill 90% of the way. Great presentation[0]; pricing explicit and almost exactly what I would have imagined; and, of course, sane pick-up and delivery. I even hunted around for a spelling mistake to have something on the opposite side of the ledger. No such luck. Alas, I'm a few thousand miles short of becoming a valued customer. Now, hopefully, you're wondering about that last 10%: It's point 2 in your "How it works": > Pack your things carefully and take pictures of the contents. I'm sure legal would have a word or two to say about that, but: how much would it set me back if you did that, together with providing a rough description of the box' contents? This, then, would appear on my account page's List of Boxes. The details are devilish, of course, and supreme caution is indicated: you don't want a prominent "take-a-peek" option to adversely affect the trust of your more privacy-conscious clients. [0] Which, incidentally, doesn't appeal to me, as I am solidly in the tarsnap aesthetics camp, but we both know what to make of that.

robmaceachern 12y ago

Any post about storage units should reference this George Carlin routine http://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18 http://youtu.be/4x_QkGPCL18

tpowell 12y ago

I don't know if they're international or not yet (I doubt it), but an Austin startup is trying to professionalize this unsexy market: http://www.sparefoot.com/ http://www.sparefoot.com/

thinkling 12y ago
The web-enabled home-delivery version of storage: http://www.storrage.com/ http://www.storrage.com/ You don't get your own storage unit; instead, they pick up labeled tubs from your house, and when you want them again you can request a specific one to be delivered. They don't take furniture and such. (Disclaimer: I'm not connected to this company in any way, not even as a customer.0

theorique 12y ago

Tyler Durden says: "The things you own, end up owning you."

grecy 12y ago

I spent 2 years living in rural Central and South America, and of all the things that shocked me on my return to North America, the sheer amount of stuff people have was by far the biggest. People have multiple cars, boats, quads, kayaks, tvs, couches, RVs, snowboards, skis... the list is endless. I was dumbfounded that people have so much stuff, they pay money to put that stuff someplace.

rajacombinator 12y ago

What a silly headline. All housing is empty space when sold too.

ambrop7 12y ago

I read most of the article but I'm still not sure: What is self-storage? How is it different from just selling storage space?