In February this year, we announced the expansion of our Stroud self storage facility and we are near the end. With the self storage industry growing incredibly fast, it was important for us to meet the ever-increasing demand.
Expanding the Stroud self storage facility seemed challenging at first with some strict planning requirements. The property we purchased is home to an old mill and we wanted to avoid any environmental issues while retaining the building’s original character. In order to do so, we refrained from making any major alterations and used cladding on the outside. This basically protects the old mill and keeps it close the original state. If someone wants to, they can simply remove the cladding and the main building remains untouched.
Stroud Self Storage Facility Capacity And Progress
As it stands now, there are just two sections that are not quite finished including the mezzanine. All the storage units are in but we still need to do the floors and some bits and bobs. While the construction part is done, it’s all about restructuring now. The floors have been sanded down and painted but some units still require doors. It takes quite a while to get the floors flat and even more so in such an old building.
In terms of capacity, the Stroud self storage expansion is about an additional 10,000 sq ft of internal units. There will be a number of different size units available with a similar look and feel to the original Stroud facility.
The old building offers so much space that we’ve cut off certain sections while we finish the work. There are different sections which we have not utilised as yet but will fill up as time goes by. The building is really coming along nicely and the inside looks quite nice with some added character.
When it comes to staffing, we opted for local employment and hired two new part-time employees. One was intended to help out during the summer but he has stayed longer while the other works three days per week. For us, it is incredibly important to have a clean, tidy, safe and well-maintained environment for all of our customers. We’re fortunate to have them as there is so much more to do at the new Stroud self storage facility, even just keeping the warehouse clean. It’s a big responsibility as people come and go all day with muddy boot prints which can get out hand very quickly.
In addition to more capacity at our Stroud site, we have responded to customers requests for longer access hours and the units now also have 24 hour access. This has been so successful at Stroud that we have also just completed the installation of the technology at our Bristol site, so there is 24 hour access there too.
Future Plans For Space Centre Self Storage
While business is good and the industry is growing, more people are investing in self storage which means more competition. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as it keeps everyone on their toes. With increased demand and high customer expectations, it comes down to providing the best possible service at the most affordable rates without sacrificing quality. At Space Centre Self Storage, we believe that we’ve got that mix down to an art.
We have plans to expand further once the Stroud self storage facility is finished but everything depends on where you can buy. At the end of the day, it’s about finding the right premises in the right locations. Properties close to high footfall or other high traffic locations would result in having to charge higher prices as the business rates etc. are, inevitably higher. So we need to take our time to make sure we get it right.
Space Centre Self Storage is a local, family-owned and operated business with storage units in a variety of sizes. Our prices are incredibly competitive and we don’t tie you to any long-term contracts. You can even move into a smaller or larger storage unit without paying any penalties, provided the unit is available.
Please keep an eye on our blog posts and social media for updates on the Stroud self storage facility progress. In the meantime, please get in touch if you need a storage unit for household goods, business documents, tools, stock or anything else really.