The Evolution of Self Storage Facilities
Human beings have always had a desire to keep their belongings safe. Personal belongings have always had a value to us, both monetarily & sentimentally. Forms of self storage have often been evident throughout history. British dignitaries while on vacation were known to hire banking companies for help securing their valuables. The banks would then hire moving companies & the belongings were placed in lofts or stables, with round the clock watchman assuring their safety.
But the history of self storage begins not in England & not even here in the United States but unknown to most it begins in China. It has been told that the Chinese in an effort to secure their belongings would place valuable items in clay pots & these pots would then be placed underground in a storage unit. These self storage facilities would be monitored to ensure that no one would have access to any pots other than their own. This marked the beginning of Self Storage facilities.
This practice continued for thousands of years in China. Until one day a business man by the name of Buz Victor learned of this practice while on a visit to China. He brought this concept back to the States & so began the idea for Self Storage Facilities.
The first Self Storage facility was located in Odessa, Texas, and was called "A1 U-Store-It, U-Lock-It, U-Carry the Key." The owner of this facility, Russ Williams, had worked in the oil industry for much of his life, enjoyed fishing in his free time and needed somewhere to keep extra equipment and boats. He realized other companies in his industry could use similar storage units for commercial purposes, so he bought a group of apartments and garages that he converted to storage areas. They more or less sold themselves.
Statistics have shown that by the end of 2009 a total of some 58,000 self storage facilities, owned by 30,235 companies, had been developed in the United States on industrial and commercial land parcels. There is more than 2.35 billion square feet of self storage in the U.S. The Self Storage industry was/is booming, but why?
There are several contributing factors, but based on research these 4 reasons appear to be the most popular:
1. Military Families - With the constant moving and unpredictability military families (or singles) often face, many choose to keep certain belongings in a self storage unit. While they may be stationed overseas, across country, or even across town, they have the flexibility to move freely while still keeping their things safe.
2. College Students €" College students may move from home and find they simply don't have the space they did in their parent's homes. Self storage is also a good option for students or those just starting out on their own as it is much cheaper than purchasing or renting a larger property to live in.
3. Downsized Families €" When people are either forced or choose to sell their larger homes they are left with a lot of stuff they no longer have the space to store. Using self storage units is a great option for them to hold onto their keepsakes, while not having to commit to a larger property than they need. It also offers them a safe place to keep their things until they can get settled into a new and more permanent home.
4. Extra space €" Let's face it most of us accumulate a lot of stuff. Self storage businesses everywhere are basically kept in business by people who simply don't have the room to hold everything. Whether they are storing a family member's belongings, waiting to sell their goods on eBay, or just have a hard time getting rid of things, these renters have the flexibility to rent space as it is needed. There is no need to erect a large building or garage & renting a storage facility can provide you with the option of using as much or as little space as you need.
People everywhere want a safe secure place to store their belongings. As long as this continues there will always be a need for Self Storage Units. Looking for a safe secure place to store your belongings in the Summerville Ladson SC area? Contact Ladson Self Storage today! http://www.ladson-selfstorage.com
But the history of self storage begins not in England & not even here in the United States but unknown to most it begins in China. It has been told that the Chinese in an effort to secure their belongings would place valuable items in clay pots & these pots would then be placed underground in a storage unit. These self storage facilities would be monitored to ensure that no one would have access to any pots other than their own. This marked the beginning of Self Storage facilities.
This practice continued for thousands of years in China. Until one day a business man by the name of Buz Victor learned of this practice while on a visit to China. He brought this concept back to the States & so began the idea for Self Storage Facilities.
The first Self Storage facility was located in Odessa, Texas, and was called "A1 U-Store-It, U-Lock-It, U-Carry the Key." The owner of this facility, Russ Williams, had worked in the oil industry for much of his life, enjoyed fishing in his free time and needed somewhere to keep extra equipment and boats. He realized other companies in his industry could use similar storage units for commercial purposes, so he bought a group of apartments and garages that he converted to storage areas. They more or less sold themselves.
Statistics have shown that by the end of 2009 a total of some 58,000 self storage facilities, owned by 30,235 companies, had been developed in the United States on industrial and commercial land parcels. There is more than 2.35 billion square feet of self storage in the U.S. The Self Storage industry was/is booming, but why?
There are several contributing factors, but based on research these 4 reasons appear to be the most popular:
1. Military Families - With the constant moving and unpredictability military families (or singles) often face, many choose to keep certain belongings in a self storage unit. While they may be stationed overseas, across country, or even across town, they have the flexibility to move freely while still keeping their things safe.
2. College Students €" College students may move from home and find they simply don't have the space they did in their parent's homes. Self storage is also a good option for students or those just starting out on their own as it is much cheaper than purchasing or renting a larger property to live in.
3. Downsized Families €" When people are either forced or choose to sell their larger homes they are left with a lot of stuff they no longer have the space to store. Using self storage units is a great option for them to hold onto their keepsakes, while not having to commit to a larger property than they need. It also offers them a safe place to keep their things until they can get settled into a new and more permanent home.
4. Extra space €" Let's face it most of us accumulate a lot of stuff. Self storage businesses everywhere are basically kept in business by people who simply don't have the room to hold everything. Whether they are storing a family member's belongings, waiting to sell their goods on eBay, or just have a hard time getting rid of things, these renters have the flexibility to rent space as it is needed. There is no need to erect a large building or garage & renting a storage facility can provide you with the option of using as much or as little space as you need.
People everywhere want a safe secure place to store their belongings. As long as this continues there will always be a need for Self Storage Units. Looking for a safe secure place to store your belongings in the Summerville Ladson SC area? Contact Ladson Self Storage today! http://www.ladson-selfstorage.com
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