By Zack Proser
With so many eager bargain hunters flocking to their local storage facilities in hopes of chasing down priceless hidden treasures, it's inevitable that some folks are going to have their hopes dashed as soon as the unit doors fly up and the only thing that greets them is trash bags and dirty clothes. Property managers all over the country have been struggling to manage an influx of bidders that have never even been to a storage facility before, as well as the jackpot expectations these newcomers bring with them. From a management perspective, there are positive and negative aspects to this flood of attention. More frequent incidences of property damage, arguments between inexperienced bidders and high volumes of calls from bargain hunters that have no intention of renting units are certainly irritations to managers and the facility owners.
On the plus side, the increased foot traffic and higher auction turnout is also converting into higher final prices for storage auction units. Small repossessed storage lockers that at one time might have sold for as little as $50 are now regularly bringing in upwards of $150. This trend is due almost exclusively to television shows like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters that are suggesting to viewers a far higher frequency of jackpot storage units than may actually exist. In the eyes of a property manager, foot traffic is always a good thing, since it means more exposure for the facility. Even if the auction hunters themselves do not rent any units, they may mention the facility to friends, thereby disseminating the brand and increasing the likelihood of future word-of-mouth referrals.
Many newcomers to the world of storage auctions wonder why these special sales even occur in the first place. The answer to this question actually dovetails with a number of conspiracy theories cropping up on the internet in print that suggest that delinquent storage unit auctions are entirely made-up; a mere product of a clever reality show ploy to secure viewers. The truth of the matter is that storage auctions have been around for a long time. They're real. End of story. Auctioning off the contents of a delinquent unit is legal recourse of self storage properties that find themselves in a financial bind when a tenant abandons their belongings or simply refuses to pay their rent for months at a time.
What isn't exactly true is that every repossessed storage unit you see sold by auction is going to produce diamonds, jewelry, antiques, heirlooms and collectibles to the tune of thousands upon thousands of dollars. This is just not the way it works. Briefly consider the logical progression of a storage unit auction in order to determine for yourself exactly how rare it is to find a storage unit with heaps of valuables and no junk:
First, someone rents a storage unit because they have belongings they prize highly enough to want to secure and retain them. They have to have sufficient money to cover the sign-up fees along with at least the first month's rent. Some storage facilities require a cleaning deposit, and some facilities that do not offer month to month storage rentals require that the new tenant pay a few months in advance. This means that people who put valuables in storage not only had enough money to initially obtain those valuables, but they also have enough money to cover the start-up fees for their unit rental. We can conclude from this that, excepting some totally unforeseen disaster, most wealthy storage tenants are not going to become unwealthy enough quickly enough to lose their valuables to a public auction.
That's not to say it doesn't occur. There are innumerable scenarios that can see even the most organized and well-intentioned storage facility tenants unable to make contact with their property manager quickly enough to prevent their unit from going to auction. Sometimes people get stuck abroad and lose all contact info for their facility and eventually lose their will and ability to keep up with their payments. These kinds of scenarios are far more likely to produce the types of repossessed storage lockers that shows like Storage Wars and Auction Kings need to produce their episodes.
What does all of this mean for beginning storage unit pickers that want to get involved in the exciting world of storage auctions? Simply that success in this business depends on determination, patience and keeping your expectations in check. If you always go out planning to find your own private box of riches behind the next storage shed door, you will almost always end up disappointed. However, if you play smart, always buy low and resell everything you find inside via yard sales or online auction sites, you can and will turn a profit over time.
Zack Proser is a freelance writer who uses his experiences working as a self storage property manager to run Storage Auctions Kings, a free and complete guide to the world of storage unit auctions and how to profit from them. At Storage Auctions Kings, you can read articles about repossessed locker sales, discover the tricks the pros use to make money from auctions, or learn about all the hilarious drama queens that crop up in the self storage industry. Stop by the forums and introduce yourself today!
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