Self Storage Income

There’s a strategy that smart investors use to take down multiple self storage deals in a relatively short amount of time, all while “recycling” the cash they initially put into that first deal. Tony McNickle and Dennis Pham used this exact blueprint to buy their first two deals , and it won’t be long before they’ll have built an entire portfolio of cash-flowing self storage facilities . After con...

2026 could be the biggest year for self storage investors since 2008. What happens starting in 2026, and going all the way through 2030, could change your life forever if you’re in the game.   Read any self storage industry news, and it says the same thing: “Oversupply! Low Demand! Rate Cuts!” But this surface-level story doesn’t show what’s really about to happen. The self storage market is...

2025 was a pivotal year for the self storage industry —but 2026 is about to be even bigger. We could get opportunities we haven’t seen in 15 years , but the buying window won’t last long. We’re taking full advantage, and in today’s episode, we’re outlining our exact 2026 plan .   We’re ringing in the New Year by sharing what we bought, sold, refinanced, and decided to hold in 2025 . In the mi...

Imagine walking up to a self storage facility and renting a unit from your phone . Next month, you need to upgrade , and you can do it immediately, again from your phone . When you move out , you schedule a date from your phone and walk away. This is what automated self storage looks like, and if your facility doesn’t sound like this example, you could be in for a big wake-up call.   Alec Pee...

The self storage industry has finally bottomed out, and today’s guest believes there are more deals now than ever. He’s seizing the moment and buying self storage facilities left and right because in 18 months, these deals could completely dry up —leaving many wishing they had invested in self storage .   In this episode, Conner and George sit down with Ben Gottfredson , who, just a few years...

Self storage investing isn’t always smooth sailing, but the market tends to reward those who stay the course. From wild construction-site break-ins to complex newspaper-building conversions , this self storage investor has seen it all—yet he’s still built a multimillion-dollar storage business that supported his family after a health incident took away his main source of income. In today’s episode...

After one self storage investment , Darren and Jyoti Osten knew they wanted out of residential real estate. They had bought rental properties, a fixer-upper, and an apartment building, but none were as profitable or passive as self storage investing . Now, six years later, they have four self storage facilities and a small, but stable, portfolio that they run from over 1,000 miles away.  &nbs...

Financing is a necessary hurdle to clear when buying a self storage facility , and in this market, it’s more crucial than ever to explore all your self storage loan options and get creative when structuring deals . The good news is, you likely have even more negotiating power today than in years past!   In this episode, AJ and Conner are pulling back the curtain and sharing multiple financing...

This husband and wife skipped rental properties and went straight to self storage investing . They kept hearing the regrets from other investors saying “we wish we scaled faster.” So, why wait to scale to bigger properties when you can just buy them from the start ? That’s exactly what Matthew Rojas and Jingwen Ni did, and they have zero regrets .   It took Matthew and Jingwen two years to fi...

You’ve found a self storage deal , but to get to the closing table, you’re also going to need a lender. For many new investors, self storage financing is the most intimidating part of the process, but in this episode, Conner and George will share everything you need to know to get your first or next self storage facility fully funded .   The truth is that self storage is one of the least-defa...

You can live hundreds of miles away from your self storage facility and still run it successfully . Just hear from Bill DeWaal and Korbin Smoot , founders of Better Self Storage. They’ve got 19 facilities across multiple states and run self storage management to perfection with a team of VAs, a director of operations, and without having to fix, overlock, or inspect a single unit.   You can in...

You’re about to make an offer on a self storage investment . You’ll need two things : an LOI (letter of intent) and a PSA (purchase and sale agreement). You may need to use one or the other or both, depending on your situation, but not having these two contracts could be stopping you from getting your first or next deal done.    Today, AJ and Conner explain precisely what a PSA and LOI i...

This is the biggest opportunity in self storage since 2008 . Last time we were at this stage in the cycle, I was on the cusp of building a $100M+ self storage business. I bought when conditions were almost identical to what we’re seeing today , and now, I’m gearing up to buy even more. But here’s the best part: beginners can get in on this , too. Today, I’m showing you how.   This could be yo...

What happens when interest rates spike , self storage demand dips , and REITs start a race to the bottom with rent prices ? You’ve got the current state of the self storage industry , with shifting market dynamics that have made things difficult for smaller investors over the last few years. The question now is, where do we go from here?   Interest rates have had a ripple effect throughout th...

Today’s guests bought six self storage facilities in just four years , all while working full-time jobs, and during a time of rising interest rates. They had zero experience , no self storage background, and have only used their own money. How did they grow so quickly, and what’s the secret to scaling your self storage business ? These are the bootstrapped self storage investors to hear from. &nbs...

How do you know your first or next self storage investment is worth the money?    This is how you do self storage analysis in six steps , even if you’ve never invested in storage before. With the most basic of numbers, you can analyze a self storage facility to see if it’s a worthwhile deal. And you don’t need any experience in commercial real estate or self storage underwriting models t...

This is the biggest thing to happen to the self storage industry in years.    Last week, the Fed made their much-anticipated decision to cut rates . In the weeks leading up to the decision, interest rates fell sharply , reigniting the homebuying process for hundreds of thousands of Americans sitting on the sidelines. Rate cuts and mortgage rate declines will have momentous effects on the...

This one small-town storage facility has made today’s guest over $500,000 . And if you’re interested in buying your first storage facility , there’s no better inspiration than this. With one self storage investment, Braedon Haertling has added another 9-5-sized income stream and increased value by close to $ 1,000,000 , all while working a full-time job . He had no experience, but a lot of drive,...

Buying a storage facility ? Make sure you spot any of these 12 self storage investing red flags . If you’re able to avoid them successfully, you could be buying a killer next investment, with high occupancy , high rates, and steady cash flow . After investing in dozens of self storage facilities, with millions of rentable square feet, we’ve nailed down the 12 deadly self storage red flags that can...

The final wave of wealth creation in self storage is here. After this, smaller investors will have a very tough time breaking into the industry.   I already missed out on the first wave, but successfully rode the second. Now, the self storage swell is starting again, but this time, small, medium, and large self storage investors will all benefit . Are you ready to ride? I’ve been investing in...

With so many investment options— single-family homes , duplexes , the stock market —it’s easy to overlook self storage . But the truth is that a self storage facility is one of the best first investments , and you’re about to find out why. Whether you’re just starting your investing journey or looking to diversify your portfolio , storage could be a supercharger for your wealth.    In th...

Today we’re giving a complete financial walkthrough of our newest self storage investment . From purchase price to rental income , return numbers, and how we’re funding it, this is a complete breakdown of a facility that could very well be bringing in $1,000,000/year in the near future. This was not only a deal but a steal, and proves that there are profitable facilities in the market just waiting...

Self storage demand —quite frankly, the most important factor when buying a self storage facility. Get it wrong, and you could lose tens or even hundreds of thousands when you sell. Get it right, and you’ve got cash flow, huge value-add potential, and the formula for a winning facility . This is the make-or-break of self storage, and even the newest investors can get rich with strong enough demand...

Investing in small self storage facilities is how almost everyone gets started. It’s where we began investing and probably where you did (or will), too. But sometimes small is a little too small. With too few doors, your expenses can quickly outweigh your revenue. Too big and you need to hire a manager. What’s the “sweet spot” in square footage that makes a great beginner self storage investment t...

The self storage industry is changing once again. A new cycle has already emerged, and we’re back to a familiar era of lower occupancy—but with it come better deals to be found. The market is drastically different from when we first started in the 2000s. Still, whether you’re a brand-new self storage investor or a massive private equity firm, the fundamentals remain the same .  AJ and Conner...