So, you’re thinking of opening a new self-storage unit? Need a game plan? We can help with that…
Kirstie and Phil know the drill: location, location, location. This is the key decision when deciding whether to open a new store. Location is one of the biggest drivers of performance, and because storage demand is highly localised, you need to assess whether there is genuine demand in the area you’re thinking of going after. Get location wrong and nothing else matters.
It goes without saying that going after major cities with dense populations is a good strategy. In the SSA Annual Report 2025, it stated that 60% of people travel 20 minutes or less to their storage facility. Only 21% of people surveyed travelled over 31 minutes or more away. It makes sense. Think of your domestic customers. They want the storage unit to be an extension of their home. Like a spare bedroom or garage. They’re not going to travel miles to get to it. For your commercial clients, it’s the same deal. They don’t want their staff driving miles to fetch event banners or merchandise. Locality is one of the most important considerations for storage customers.
The next factor to consider is whether there is demand in the area or not. Look into population growth around your chosen area and local business density. The Office of National Statistics offers the Nomis service which will give you more detailed demographic information on a specific area. You can find out employment figures, earnings data, age range and more. Research if there are any planned new build developments due to pop up nearby. Is there a student population? What is rental market churn like? All of these give insight into potential future customers.
On that thread, it’s important to consider who your key storage customers are. We have a blog exploring this in more detail for you to take a look at. One of the biggest drivers of self-storage demand is moving home, with 34% of domestic storage needs being move-related. However, other significant life events such as having a baby, renovating a property and decluttering are also key triggers for self-storage usage.
The SSA Annual Report 2026 highlights that self-storage has an ageing customer base, with the largest customer segment being those aged 55-64. This age group accounts for 31% of all customers. The report also shows that self-storage demand is predominately domestic, with 76% of customers using storage for personal use, compared with 24% business purposes.
You need to research the current competitive landscape to understand the level of opportunity in the market. Are there any customers left to grab?
According to the SSA Annual Report 2026, the UK has approximately 0.95 square feet of self-storage space per person. This provides a useful benchmark for assessing whether a local market may be under- or over-supplied and can help identify potential locations for new storage facilities.
Take Milton Keynes as an example:
Based on this, Milton Keynes would require approximately:
306,000 x 0.95 = 290,700 square feet of self-storage space.
The next step is to research the existing self-storage facilities in Milton Keynes and calculate their combined lettable floor space. Find out if existing provisions already meet local demand. Remember that if there isn’t room in the market, you could set yourself up for a price war. It may be worth cutting your losses and opting for a different town or city.
During this research phase, you can also gauge whether competitors are at capacity or near capacity. What units do they have left for rent? Occupancy rates per region can be found in the latest SSA report. In 2025, occupancy rates nationally were at 74.5%. Use this as the benchmark.
While you’re researching competitors, you also need to check out their pricing and the types and sizes of the storage units they’re offering. Are there service gaps you could fill, such as lack of 24/7 access or temperature-controlled units?
Read as many customer reviews as possible. Look particularly at the lowest rated reviews to find out what they’re doing wrong or what they’re not offering that you could. Is customer service poor? Is the site hard to access? Are prices too steep? This is all valuable information you can use to differentiate your offering.
Once you've identified a target location, the next step is to search for suitable commercial property and assess what's available in the area. Securing the right site can be challenging, so accessibility should be a key consideration. You don't want a facility tucked away in a remote location, but equally, customers shouldn't have to navigate a motorway junction just to reach it.
Think about visibility as well as accessibility. Are there major roads nearby where signage will be easily seen? Many customers first become aware of a self-storage facility while passing by on foot or by car, and will often search for it online later. Strong road visibility and clear sightlines are therefore essential. According to the SSA Annual Report 2026, road visibility is the single biggest driver of customer awareness, cited by 69.2% of customers. As a result, it should be high on your list of priorities when evaluating potential sites.
Need some self-storage marketing ideas? Your marketing should begin long before the doors open. Build anticipation with ‘coming soon’ campaigns that offer early-bird discount offers. Make sure you have a professional website, a Google Business Profile and a robust local SEO strategy in place so potential customers can easily find your facility when searching for storage in the area.
Focus your marketing on people at key trigger moments when the need for storage is the greatest, such as homemovers, those undertaking renovations and local businesses that require additional space.
Finally, establish partnerships with complementary local businesses such as estate agents, conveyancers, removal companies, housebuilders, kitchen companies and interior designers. These can all become valuable referral partners to help you build up a solid customer base.
If you’re considering opening a new store, go for it! The annual industry turnover for self-storage is £1.3 billion according to the SSA Annual Report 2026. The storage industry is on a clear upward trajectory, so make hay while the sun shines! What’s more 39% of customers have stayed for three years or more according to the SSA Report, so you all the signs point to healthy, consistent revenue.
If you need help with your marketing, MoverAlerts can support. Homemovers and renovators are two of your key customers. We know who is in the moving journey and who’s applied for planning permission, and can put you in the know, too. As a self-storage leads provider, our homemover leads can help you fill your units up fast. Get in touch if you want to discuss this in more detail!