Due to a number of economic factors these days, storage units are more popular than ever.

People have been moving into smaller, more affordable living spaces and trusting local storage units to keep an eye on their goods, and as a result more storage units have been built or added to existing buildings to accommodate this desire.

These modifications aren’t as hard as you might expect, and all you need is sufficient space and enough patience to get the job done. If you’ve got some property that can become a storage unit, or you just want to know what can go into it all, here’s a few tips to consider:

Find the right location

Just like with any business, finding the right location and building for your storage unit is key. Even above and beyond making sure the building is going to support the typical demands of a storage unit (space, security, etc), you need to make sure the location itself would be easily accessible to nearby customers. A lot of storage units are built out of older warehouses, but if your warehouse is on the outskirts of town or in a neighborhood that isn’t easily accessible (an industrial park not too near the residential areas, for example) it might not get the sort of business you’re hoping for.

Review the zoning process

In most cases, storage units will have zoning regulations that need to be followed, and there can be a number of factors that play into them. In most cases, using an existing building to convert into storage units will help negate some of these requirements, but you still need to be aware of what your city/state will require of your building in regards to things like structural integrity, customer safety, and the like before you commit to a location.

Assess the property

Of course, all the zoning regulations in the world aren’t going to make a ton of difference if the building itself doesn’t offer what you need. Make a quick checklist of the following things and give them all a thorough inspection, including:

• Soil composition
• Concrete/foundation stability
• Presence of previously-installed fixtures such as wire shelving, steel shelving, and high density storage that can be repurposed into customer storage
• Safety installations such as guard rails, staircase railings, and fire escapes
• Proper lighting
• Roof damage

While the factors at play will likely change from building to building and area to area, this is a good list to start with when inspecting a building for usage.

Start picking out storage installations

Storage units aren’t going to do anyone much good without the actual storage options, and at this point you should be planning your installations. Will they be climate-controlled? Will customers need to provide their own locks or will those be furnished? (And if they are getting locks, will they be manual or keypad-based?) Start looking into roll-up doors and insulation to help get your individual storage units as ready as they can be.

Consider the extras

Finally, with as many options as people have for storage units these days, you’ll want to make sure you can offer a unique, top-shelf experience that they can’t get at other facilities. Consider offering things like mesh panels to prevent break-ins, enhanced lighting and HVAC options for a more comfortable experience, and depending on how open your floor plan is you could throw in mezzanines for enhanced accessibility.