Single-Story Self Storage Buildings
Single-story is the preferred type of self-storage building today because on the basis of per square foot of leasable space, it is the most economical. It also provides the most flexibility in terms of building design and layout. Traditionally, this has been the predominate building design since self-storage began back in the sixties. Since most self-storage buildings were relegated to industrial areas or the wrong side of the tracks early on, securing land in these areas of town wasn’t a problem. Land was generally cheap and readily available. Self-storage was a business that attracted little attention, but as the business grew and investors discovered that it had a better return on investment than most real estate, the paradigm shifted. Not only did self-storage facilites move into better neighborhoods, but the single-story design had to be re-examined. Over time, land became more expensive and more scarce. Today, owners are not only looking at paying top dollar for property, but finding it more and more difficult to locate available land to buy. Fortunately, there are other alternatives to the single-story design, such as multi-story, bi-level and conversions.
