The Economics of Everyday Things 45. Storage Units
11 snips
Apr 22, 2024 
Guests Zachary Dickens, Anne Mari DeCoster, and Kara Kolodziej discuss the $45 billion self-storage industry in America. They explore the reasons for renting storage units, operations and economics, diverse use cases, nuances of auctions, and the economic viability of storage units. Real-life stories include valuable discoveries like a car from a James Bond film and handling cremated remains.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Covered Land Play
- Early self-storage facilities were initially a land investment strategy.
- Entrepreneurs bought cheap land, anticipating population growth, and used storage units as a temporary income source.
Self-Storage Landscape
- The US has a large number of self-storage facilities, with most owned by smaller operators.
- Larger corporations control the rest of the market, indicating consolidation in the industry.
Extra Space Storage Growth
- Extra Space Storage has grown significantly, operating millions of units across the country.
- These units vary in size and price, catering to diverse storage needs.