Self storage finance and investment guides
Plain-English guides to buying, building, starting, running and financing self storage facilities in the UK.
These guides cover the self storage sector end to end: how to buy a facility, whether self storage is a good investment, what new stores and conversions cost to build, how to start and run a store, how the finance stack works from bridging to mezzanine, and what the UK market data says about occupancy, rates and the development pipeline. They are written and reviewed by Matt Lenzie, who has arranged more than £500 million of property finance over 25 years. When you want a real view on a deal, send it to us and we will come back within one working day.
How to buy a self storage facility or trading business: process, valuation and funding.
How to buy a self storage facility
A step-by-step guide to buying a self storage facility in the UK: finding stores for sale, due diligence, valuation, share vs asset purchase, and acquisition finance.
Read guide →How to value a self storage business
How self storage businesses are valued in the UK: EBITDA multiples, trading vs vacant possession value, occupancy and rate assumptions, and what lenders accept.
Read guide →Finding a self storage business for sale
Where to find self storage businesses for sale in the UK, what listings really mean, off-market deals, and how to fund the purchase once you find one.
Read guide →Returns, yields and what self storage owners actually make in the UK.
Is self storage a good investment?
Whether self storage is a good investment in the UK: occupancy, revenue per sq ft, yields and risks, with sourced industry data and how investors finance stores.
Read guide →Self storage investment returns
The returns UK self storage produces: revenue per sq ft, occupancy, yields and total returns, with sourced industry data and the leverage that shapes them.
Read guide →How much do self storage owners make?
What UK self storage owners actually earn: revenue per sq ft, typical operating margins, how store size and occupancy drive profit, and worked examples.
Read guide →Construction costs, planning permission and feasibility for new stores and conversions.
Self storage construction costs
What it costs to build a self storage facility in the UK: build and fit-out costs per sq m, single-storey vs multi-storey, conversions, and development finance.
Read guide →Self storage planning permission
Planning permission for self storage in the UK: the B8 use class, change of use, container sites, common objections and how planning risk affects finance.
Read guide →Self storage feasibility studies
How a self storage feasibility study works: catchment and demand analysis, competitor supply, rate assumptions, development appraisal and lender expectations.
Read guide →Starting a self storage business: business plans, container starts and scaling up.
How to start a self storage business
How to start a self storage business in the UK: costs, site finding, container vs building, planning, operations and the finance that funds each stage.
Read guide →Writing a self storage business plan
How to write a self storage business plan that secures funding: the financial model, occupancy build-up, rate assumptions and the sections lenders read first.
Read guide →Starting a container storage business
How container self storage businesses work in the UK: site and container costs, planning, what they earn, and the finance that funds land and stock.
Read guide →The finance stack explained: mezzanine, bridging, development and term debt.
The UK self storage market: size, occupancy, rates and the development pipeline.
The UK self storage market
The UK self storage market explained with sourced data: store numbers, total space, occupancy, revenue per sq ft, yields and the development pipeline.
Read guide →UK self storage occupancy rates
UK self storage occupancy benchmarks with sources: industry averages, mature store performance, listed operator occupancy and why lenders watch the build-up curve.
Read guide →Got a self storage deal in mind?
Send us the outline and we will come back with a view on fundability and likely terms within one working day.