Question: Is there demand for indoor storage areas in SoCal?

[campbellcj]

My company rents 3 storage units in Culver City for approx $300/mo each. I am not sure of the size but they are very roughly similar to a 1 car garage but with a pretty high ceiling.

I have often wondered what the rates are like for large, premium units such as the hangars at SaMo airport. (Which would hold 10-20 cars or several larger vehicles). Several years ago I heard $5000/mo but that was a speculative guess, I think...

[layzee]

Ask Jerry S!

[Zeke]

Cars are one thing, general storage is another. General storage is overbuilt right now and the vacancy rates are higher than they used to be. Cars require differnent insurance and building codes (read fire codes). IMO, it would have to be a fairly large operation with a full time attendant. I'd look into another storage specialty such as business records, maybe with a retrieval service and document destruction service. Something with value added.

[vash]

up north, there are no vacancies.

that is my next venture, but not much land left. easy money

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I personally think yes, especially ones where a person could work on their car. Technically it's illegal to work on cars on the street (even though everyone does it) and most apartments prohibit it (even though lots of people do it, the ones lucky enough to have a garage anyway). This means that technically your only option for ANY car repar is take it to a shop and pay out the you-know-where. It's a bit infuriating and I for one would GLADLY pay for a place to keep and do some stuff to my own car without the risk of anyone getting in my face about it! Might be a good business opportunity for someone here.

Typically a building with this sort of operation would be classified as an "H" occupancy (pretty sure, I'll check the code to be sure) which really isn't THAT bad - it just needs sprinklering and certain types of fire resistant construction. The thing that might kebash the idea would be liability insurance. I doubt they'd be too keen on the idea of "untrained" people using lifts and so-on, but if you were just providing the basics like some storage space, used oil disposal, and electrical power I don't think it'd be too much of a problem. Might be worth checking into. . . let me know if you're interested in the idea.

[vash]

boat and RV storage would rent easier....

[Bob's Flat-Six]

Wayne, We were just at the Peterson auto museum on Wilshire and I'm pretty sure 200.00 a mo. was the storage rate for just a parking space in the buildings basement.

[Zeke]

Who said anything about working on cars? Not Wayne. I was gonna do this until I investigated ins and codes. And the fact that you have to have even better security than average.

[Zeke]

Actually what I was thinking about was one car owner wanting to check out the other cars. You really need supervision to let people in and out. Hell, stuff is stolen from these lock ups every day. I had one at a PS a while back and it was constructed with steel studs and drywall. If I wanted to go into the next unit, all I had to do was unscrew the drywall and help myself. It wasn't even taped!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Just an idea I've had. . . seems like there are a lot of people out there (myself included) that enjoy working on their own vehicles but are prevented from doing so for lack of adequate facilities. In some areas of the country storage places don't care too much (when I lived in IL, there was a guy building a kitplane in the storage unit next to mine - it was ground level with a roll-up door & 24-hour access, pretty cool setup), but here it's just insane with the restrictions and what-not.

I figure if people are going to store their cars there, why not give them the right to work on them as well?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

BTW there is a HUGE waiting list for hangar space at SMO (last I heard it was between 8-10 years); I wouldn't go there anyway - it's INSANELY expensive. A lot of airports require you to keep an aircraft hangared in any hangar space to prevent this sort of stuff (haven't heard that they're going to do that at SMO, but it could happen in the future). If I was looking for long-term storage, I'd look out at places like W.J. Fox or Inyokern or somewhere like that where you'd be unlikely to have anyone bother you or your car(s).

[Zeke]

Well, since we're drifting OT, they had work on your own cars places for a while in the 70's. I think it started up in WA. Liability ins got 'em. Along with lawsuits. People are real stupid around cars. Ever read some of the threads right here on 911BBS about dumb things? Staggers the mind.

[vash]

has anyone seen where the level of ski and wakeboard boats have gone? yes there are specific boats for the two activities. over the top tech stuff! high dollar stuff, i heard 60k levels! and no one ever has enough room to park these things. and i bet there is alway a market to keep these beauties out of the sun. where my bro stores his boat, in newmexico, there are both indoor and outdoor slots. the indoor ones have a waiting list....boat guys are sick! the problem is that they have to store a boat and a truck..

[campbellcj]

I could also add that around here -outdoor- RV /trailer/boat storage runs around $.35/sf. My trailer space rent went up on Jan 1 and unfortunately there are no other options anywhere nearby (wait lists at every storage place). I suspect the increase has a lot to do with insurance premiums.

[speeder]

I have a friend who has a hangar @ Santa Monica filled w/ cars and stuff, he just got it last year. Don't think he had to wait. Maybe he got it from someone who already had it, I'll try to find out.

[Zeke]

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts
I'm surprised the pick-your-parts yards are still in business - that seems like a disaster waiting to happen...

-Wayne

Really does, doesn't it? I was in one a couple times. What a goat rope. I had to throw away the shoes I wore it was so dirty. When it rains, you can't even walk on the pavement it so slippery.

But yeah, things falling off on peole's arms and things. It's gotta be dangerous.