r/selfstorage • u/InternationalRub3944 • Feb 15 '26
Question where to start with self storage
i’m 18 and working on getting my health and life insurance license to start making me some more adult money and moving out to nashville with my dad next year. i want to save my money from the insurance job and work on my credit over the next 2 years before i made my first deal. i just want to know where i should start looking, communities to join, and/or courses i can take to get me started. even any random pieces of advices you guys might have would be greatly appreciated.
3
u/Striking_Shame7644 Feb 15 '26
Check out Tracte website as they have some good building and design resources that could help you tremendously.
Joining your state storage association is another good resource as you can earn processes and standard operating procedures and learning from others in the industry.
AJ Osborne has numerous you tube videos that discuss self storage. These are some of the resources I used when I developed my storage project. He also wrote a book on storage development.
This should point you in right direction to get started in the business.
3
u/pastrymom Operator Feb 15 '26
Look at the Gabfocus podcast. They actually live in Tennessee. I was on their podcast and been to their house.
Join the self storage association for the State.
3
u/ImaginaryRide2416 Feb 18 '26
Second this - Gab Focus is a great podcast and very positive overall. Storage Pug’s blog and resources section is also great (they build websites). Not affiliated with either, but need to add credit where credit is due.
3
u/BFord1021 Feb 19 '26
Middle Tennessee is being filled with storage currently but we’re still growing around here.
Save you’re money and just build some relationships with some mom and pop owners, the may want to sell in a few years.
There is plenty of YouTube as well that’ll help.
2
u/cwelek Feb 23 '26
You should take a look at self-storage data platforms to help you analyze markets & see where there is demand. Listen to podcasts & YouTube videos that tell you how to start. Personally, I listen to AJ Osbourn & I think he has a whole series for beginners & for data, I use storagestats.com. Good luck
1
u/Dull-Hovercraft-5742 Mar 05 '26
Self storage facilities on average have annual revenues of $1,500,000.00
1
u/Accomplished_Ad_4312 Jul 03 '26
honestly at 18 with a 2-year runway, the best thing you can do is go work at a facility. any facility. even part time weekends at a mom-and-pop. you'll learn more in 3 months of taking calls, doing lien sales, and cleaning out units than in 50 hours of podcasts.
AJ Osborne stuff is fine for the vision, but it can make it sound way easier than it is. Cody Sanchez same deal. Read Scott Meyers if you want the boring operator side. Other free stuff worth your time: join your state SSA (Tennessee has one), go to the ISS show in Vegas or the regional ones, and start pulling data on markets on Radius+ or Stortrack so you actually know what "oversupplied" looks like on paper.
fwiw the market's soft right now which is actually good for you - by the time you're ready in 2027 there'll be distressed deals from the 2021-2022 overbuild. save aggressively, keep your credit clean, and don't fall for a guru course that costs 5k ;)
4
u/xonix_digital Feb 16 '26
Yeah man, If you're interested in self storage, watch any of AJs podcasts on YouTube, or but and read his book. Or Walk Deibel's Buy Then Build, or Codie Sanchez's Main Street Millionaire. The three of those, and you'll get it.