Storage Information

The need for storage space

Almost everyone needs storage space at one time or another. The nature of modern life is that we need some things periodically, and temporarily, and between those times, they have to be placed somewhere for safe keeping. This is true of our tools, our recreation equipment, and even our documents.

Renting or owning my storage space

If you have a location, buying is always better than renting. In the end, you have a product that has value, and belongs to you. This product can be used for continued storage purposes, re tooled for other purpose, or even sold if the need for it is gone. There are more reasons. A building on your own property is more convenient than one across town. If you own the building it can be used any time you get ready to use it, day or night. Because it is near your back door, you will save on fuel as well. See also: Buy A Storage Building Instead of Renting Space

The hallmarks of high quality storage buildings

Good material, and solid construction will mean long life, and easy maintenance. In most instances this will mean wooden framed structures with metal siding. These buildings represent the best long term value. Wooden , or composition siding with composition roofing requires quite a bit of maintenance. If such a building is not periodically cleaned, sealed, and painted, the material will degrade quickly. Steel clad buildings are almost maintenance free. Buying The Right Storage Building

Determining the size of the building you need

Deciding your buildings size, will require deciding the buildings intended use, and by available space. If the building is to be used for the purpose of storage, the number of cubic feet of the material to be stored can be determined by some simple measurements, and some simple math.  For workshop use, size should be determined by design and usability. The need for 200 square feet of space to be placed into an area no wider than 10 feet will require the building to be longer than it is wide. Whatever your buildings intended use, add at least 10 percent to the final size. Most people need more space than they initially expected. See: Buying The Right Storage Building

Deciding where to locate the building

The building should be placed where it can be reached easily, and where it does not interfere with lawn and landscape practices. we also need to think about the irrigation system, and how it will interact with the building. Some irrigation adjustments may be needed. See also: Storage Placement

Financing a storage building

Portable utility building producers and dealers want to sell buildings. That is why they are in the business. For that reason, most will have several financing options available. Of course, everyone loves cash. Most will help you to locate a loan source, and there is also the rent to own option, and some dealers offer ’90 days same as cash”. See: Storage Building Finance Rent To Own.

Buying online is also possible. See: How To Buy A Storage Building Safely And Securely Online

Getting your building to you

Most buildings are built at a factory like facility, and then delivered to the locations where they are to be displayed and sold. When a building is sold on a lot, it will be picked up at that lot, and hauled to it’s new home. That is not the only way it can be done though. Buildings can be built to meet your specific needs, and hauled directly to your place, or they can be built on site. On site building normally requires an on site fee, but this will probably be offset by omitting the cost of a delivery fee. There is always a cost for delivery. When a dealer tells you that they do not charge for delivery, that simply means that they have figured the cost into the building in other places. Free delivery is a gimmick. Look at the quality, and the final cost, and that will determine the buildings true value. See also: Storage Building Delivery

Uses of utility buildings

How you choose to use your utility building is limited only by your imagination and creativity. They serve well for the purpose of storage, but can also be used for work and hobby shops, offices, game rooms, and entertainment rooms. See: Storage Buildings Who Needs Them?

Maintaining your storage building

Utility building maintenance needs are determined by the type of materials and the quality of workmanship in the building. A well built steel clad building will be almost free of upkeep. A building built with other materials will require cleaning, sealing and painting on a regular basis to maintain looks and structural integrity. Read more in Storage Building Maintenance.

A row of metal storage buildings

One of the few companies we recommend for storage buildings, and steel buildings in the North East Texas area is “Alternative Canopy” in Lindale Texas. Alternative Canopy supplies “Winslow’s Custom Buildings” portable storage sheds in the East Texas area. The folks at Winslow’s have let it be known that they are now in the business of providing pole structures like pole barns as well as storage sheds and carports. Alternative Canopy can provide help in the pole barn area as well as T-N-T buildings and Winslow’s portables. Alternative Canopy also offers a selection of wooden sided buildings made with pressure treated plywood. I spoke with a representative of Winslow’s about pricing, but the only answer he would give is that it would be “the best in the industry”. Call 903.504.3938 for more information.

Boost Real Estate Sales With Storage Buildings

What do storage buildings and granite counter tops have in common? To be honest with you, not a lot, but there is at least one way they are alike. They can both help you sell your home! There are a lot of things that can help to sell a house, and they are not all granite counter tops! There are few things that can add value to the home without gutting the kitchen and bathrooms. The idea of curb appeal, is the landscaped qualities that are the qualities that make people want to take a look inside as they drive or walk by. The curb appeal will help to get them in. A great kitchen with, yes, you guessed it, granite counter tops will increase the homes value, as will a nice elegant bath, but you may need a little something to help seal the deal in these tough economic times, perhaps something a little more practical, something that will add value above it’s cost, and might just mean the difference between a sale and no sale. A storage building in the back yard may not add much curb appeal, since it is in the back yard, but it may be the final nail for the sale! Adding a storage building, adds intrinsic value to the property. It adds practical value to the property, and it adds perceived value to the property. Think about it. Your potential buyer is not just thinking about the cost, or the counter tops, he or she is thinking about moving in, possibly because of a need to down size, and is wondering where to put all that extra stuff. If they see a place to put their extra belongings, sitting neatly in the back yard, it might just be the deciding factor between your offering and someone else’s down the block! Time and time again, in case after case, we have seen an investment ranging from a few hundred dollars, to a few thousand dollars, add double the cost to the final selling price, and, perhaps more importantly, speed up and increase sales. If speeding up the process and increasing the chances for sale were the only effects, that in itself would be great. If you spent 5,000.00 and only gained 5,000.00 on the final price, but were able to sell, or sell more quickly, wouldn’t that be worth the effort? This will work for individuals trying to sell a home, and for real estate agencies and property management companies with properties that may be languishing in the current market. The addition of a little storage space might create just enough added interest to convert. They add value to the home above the cost of the investment. They help to sell the home because they provide a place for movers in transition. They help to speed up the decision making process, since alternative storage is no longer a factor.

Outdoor Storage Shed

Public storage benefits from financial crisis

The self storage, or public storage industry is booming in the midst of economic crisis, and, to be honest, because of the financial crisis! Foreclosures are forcing people to move out of their homes quickly in many cases, and all those home furnishings, appliances, and other valuables have to be put somewhere for safe keeping. To add insult to injury in such difficult circumstances, the people who are doing the moving and storing, rarely have opportunity to do the kind of research that would lead them to the best long term solution while under the pressure of the short term situation. Families forced to move from their dream home, into smaller homes or apartments usually have more belongings than they can put into their new quarters, and they often suffer the double rental whammy of not only renting a place for their families to live, but also renting a place for their belongings to stay until times get better.

Other reasons for public storage growth

There is however, no single profile of the average public storage renter. Add to the above scenario a growing population of baby boomers preparing to retire and turn nomadic, and others who are down sizing for reasons other than foreclosure, and the figures go even higher.

An alternative to public storage

There is a better way to approach this problem. Buying a building of your own to store your property makes much better economic sense. Sure, you would have to pay for it, but it will be yours, and you will have something to show for your money when it is paid for. Even if you chose a rent to own building, the price is normally equal to the price of renting self storage, and the cost evaporates when the final payment is made, so that you can look forward to rent free storage, and using the building for other purposes when your situation returns to normal.

Apartment renters

It is obvious that buying a storage building is better than renting storage space, but what about people who move from a large home into a small apartment, or some other rental situation? Where would they put a storage building? The short answer is this: Everyone knows someone who has a home and land. This is usually a family member or a close friend, who understands the situation and would be more than happy to allow you to buy a building for placement on their property until the situation gets better. You will not gain all the advantages of having the building placed conveniently at your own doorstep, but at least you won’t be throwing your money away on  rent.

Other renters

If you rent a home, other than an apartment, the owner of the property might be willing to allow you to have a building placed in your rented back yard. At the least, it would not hurt to talk to them about it. In such cases, a ‘landlord lien waiver” may be required. Your building supplier will be able to supply one for you, along with instructions. However you work it out, renting to own, or purchasing outright, makes more sense than paying $50.00 a month for several years to store $500.00 worth of goods.

Storage sheds like this save money on storage expenses

Are you looking for a place to buy storage buy a storage building? The world is a pretty big place! We want to help you sort through the big old world, and find the storage building that meets your need.

To start with, if what you need is a small basic storage shed, we invite you to search through our online store at: Storage Master Marketplace

If you need something a little bigger, and prefer to buy locally, let me tell you what is local to us. This blog originates in the pine woods of East Texas, near a little town called Tyler. As with most situations, we are familiar with our native area, so we know more about the products available in this area than we do about other parts of the country.The material on this blog is based on data gleaned in the North East Texas area, but the principles and information it contains are applicable in almost any part of the globe.

If you are preparing to buy a storage building, utility building, carport, garage, or storage shed and you live in East Texas or North Texas including the Dallas area, and the area extending into Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas, we can make specific recommendations for the best places to buy. You can phone Jim at 903.504.3938 for details.

Some of the towns and cities in this local area are:

Tyler, Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Bullard, Lindale, Winona, Longview, Mineola, Kilgore, Emory, Winsboro, Quitman, Alba, Kemp Maybank, Canton, Ennis, Kaufman, East Tawakoni, Quinlan, Van, Grand Saline, Edgewood, Forney, Fruitvalle, Garland, Mesquite, Dallas, Rockwall, Royce City, Saxe, Rowlet, Greenville, Paris, Bonham, Farmersville, Wills Point, Terrel, Sulphur Springs, and, well, okay, the list is really pretty long, and there are many more, but you get the idea. If you live in or near any of these areas, give us a call. For those outside this area, see the note below.

Buying storage buildings in the wider Texas area, and  everywhere else

If you are residing in most parts of Oklahoma, Louisiana, or Arkansas, we can now make specific recommendations as well as in Texas. If you live in another area of the country, even if it is outside the Texas area, we will be happy to try to locate companies in your area that follow the principles,  practices, and standards we believe to be the most consistent with the quality building materials, and the best construction practices to help you with your long term needs. Please email jim@storagemasterblog.com for details.

Storage building with standard door

Utility building terms glossary

There is a bit of confusion about some of the terms used in the world of storage, so we thought we might try to define some of these terms, and cut down on the haze.

Utility buildings

A utility building is a multi purpose building. Such buildings can be used to meet a variety of differing needs, of which storage, is most common. Besides storage, they are often used as workshops, offices, hobby shops, game rooms, equipment maintenance buildings, wood working shops, and many other purposes, limited only by the individuals imagination. “Utility building” is the most general, and most accurate description for such buildings.

Portable buildings

Portable buildings are, of course, portable. They can be moved from one place to another with relative ease. They are movable because of their size, and the fact that they are not bolted or otherwise connected to a slab or other type of permanent  foundation. They are portable by virtue of the fact that they are single self contained buildings. You may here or see the term in conjunction with other terms such as “portable utility buildings, portable storage buildings”, and “portable storage sheds”.

Storage buildings

Storage buildings are generally utility buildings used for the purpose of storing something. These buildings are often portable buildings, but not always. They can be anything from a pole barn used to store inventory, to a warehouse, to an 8 by 10 building moved on to the property to store Christmas decorations or documents.

Storage sheds

This term is often used as a synonym for storage building. Technically, it is a shed used for storing something. A shed is most often a “lean to” type building, such as the type of open sided building built in conjunction with another building, or a free standing building on poles which has a roof oriented to “shed” water in one direction. These types of buildings are often used to store farm equipment. A typical shed type structure is the common carport connected to the end of a home, which is usually connected to the home at an angle proceeding down and away from the home.

Carports

Carports are often sheds attached to the side of a home, in a more or less permanent form. With the introduction of modular building technology however, they have now become widely used as un connected individual structures. A carport differs from a garage because a carport has at least one open side. Garages are  enclosed structures, carports are open structures. Modern modular building systems will allow for the building of a garage on the frame of a carport, increasing the buildings utility.

Garages

Garages, like carports are often built directly into, or onto homes. This has changed a good deal with the steel building industries use of modular, pre fab type structures. which allow for more flexibility in placement, and function. Now, many garages are built separately from the home as free standing structures.

Steel buildings

The term “steel building” is commonly used to refer to carports or garages of the modular type built from steel frames, and coated steel siding. The term really refers to any building built from steel.

Metal buildings

Metal buildings are, of course buildings made of metal. This term is usually used in reference to garages, carports or other similar buildings, of which the primary metal would be steel. There are also buildings made from other metals, particularly, aluminum. in actuality, it can refer to any building built from any type of metal.

Public storage

This is a term for storage rental space. Typically, it is a compound full of buildings with storage areas rented for individual storage. The term mini storage is also used for this type of storage rental.

Self storage

Self storage is commonly used as a synonym for public and mini storage. The terminology is a little confusing. It is self storage because the system is somewhat automated, and therefore, you can use this facility to store things yourself.

Steel Garden Shed

How to Choose Between Public Storage and Private Storage

I am going to be practical in this discussion, and tell you what you really need to know when working through the options of storing items, or choosing storage type buildings for other purposes.

When it comes to using space for storage or other reasons, it is obviously better to buy than to rent! That will crawl all over a few people, but it is just the truth, nothing more, nothing less.

Just look at the facts. Owning is better than renting. The cost for owning the building you are using is less than the cost of perpetual rent. Owning a building placed on your property adds to your properties value. It is more convenient, and it is yours! enough said!

In the event that you do not have a place to put your building, or if your needs are very short term, a public storage facility might be the ticket.

How to pick the right public storage

When choosing a place to lease, you should check out everything about the company you are thinking of renting from. You should see if the building space will have the amenities you need for your particular application. It would be wise to find out about the hours that you can come and go, and look at any safety concerns you might have. The closeness of the building to your location should be a part of the considerations, especially in these times of fluctuating fuel prices. Your time is valuable, and you don’t need to waste any of it suffering back and forth through cross town traffic.

After the initial decision making process, and the ritual signing of the lease, the suggestions made in the rest of this series for how to organize your storage space can be followed.