Property Management Meets Self Storage

If you are new to the world of property management, then know that you should not get too stressed out. While property management may seem really, really difficult when you are just starting out, you are going to be able to learn the ropes if you put a little bit of time into researching your new position. There are tons of ways for you to research your new position, so there is not all that much to worry about, here.

First and foremost, you are going to want to develop your interpersonal skills. If you are not familiar with the technique of building rapport, then you are going to want to do a little bit of reading to catch up. As a property manager, you are going to be dealing with people face to face on a regular basis. As such, you are going to have to learn how to make people trust you. Of course, there are a few things that you can begin to practice right from the start. First of all, you are going to have to be sure that you are not being too shy. When a new customer steps into your front office, be sure that you are making eye contact with them. This is especially important to do when they are talking to you. Also, as they are talking, you are going to want to b...

  • Property Management Meets Self Storage
    By admin on February 6, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    If you are new to the world of property management, then know that you should not get too stressed out. While property management may seem really, really difficult when you are just starting out, you are going to be able to learn the ropes if you put a little bit of time into researching your new position. There are tons of ways for you to research your new position, so there is not all that much to worry about, here.

    First and foremost, you are going to want to develop your interpersonal skills. If you are not familiar with the technique of building rapport, then you are going to want to do a little bit of reading to catch up. As a property manager, you are going to be dealing with people face to face on a regular basis. As such, you are going to have to learn how to make people trust you. Of course, there are a few things that you can begin to practice right from the start. First of all, you are going to have to be sure that you are not being too shy. When a new customer steps into your front office, be sure that you are making eye contact with them. This is especially important to do when they are talking to you. Also, as they are talking, you are going to want to be sure that you are giving them some kind of confirmation that you are hearing what they are saying. You do not need to interrupt them, but you can certainly nod at the appropriate times. Also, try not to be too fidgety as they are talking to you. When you fidget, you are showing signs that you are either not confident in yourself, or not confident in your product. Of course, you have to avoid sending these sorts of messages if you ever hope to represent your property.

    Second of all, you are going to want to get good at screening your tenants. The last thing that you are going to want to do is rent your self storage units to tenants who are going to be a big pain in the neck. Before you agree to let someone move into one of your units, be sure that you are getting a rough idea of what they are going to be storing. Also, if you have had a lot of problems with late rent in the past, then you might want to consider running a credit check on your potential tenants before you agree to give them a space. As badly as you may want to fill your units, you are not going to want to fill them with tenants who cannot afford to pay their monthly bills. Sure, you can auction their units as per your lease agreement, but that is a pain in the neck that you are going to want to avoid in the long run.

    And finally, here, you are going to want to be sure that you are a little bit handy when it comes to fixing up your property. You are going to have a maintenance crew, sure, but that does not mean that you should not learn how to replace a light bulb, fix a door, change a lock, and the like. By learning these kinds of skills, you are going to be able to guarantee that your tenants are not going to get unhappy by having to wait around for your maintenance crew to show up. And at the end of the day, keeping your tenants happy is the name of the game that you are playing.

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  • Hidden Fees Of Self Storage Rentals Revealed
    By admin on January 30, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    If you are just starting out with your self storage rental process, then there are many things that you are going to want to know.  While self storage units are not the trickiest things in the world, you are still going to have to be sure that you are familiar with some of the fine print that you are going to come across.  As with any other contract that you set out to sign, you simply have to be sure that you know what you are getting yourself into before you lock yourself into a commitment.  Fortunately, it is only going to take a little bit of research for you to gather up all of the knowledge that you are going to need to make a responsible decision.  Read through this article carefully and you are not going to have to worry about a thing.

    First of all, you are going to want to pay close attention to the start up fees that your properties are offering.  This may be a little bit tricky, as many properties are going to insist that they can move you in for just one dollar.  While this is sometimes the case, you are going to have to be sure that you are not forgetting about all of the extra fees that may apply.  Typically speaking, facilities are going to charge what they call an administration fee, which is going to cover routine maintenance on your unit throughout the course of your stay.  If your light bulb burns out, your door breaks, or anything like that, you are not going to have to worry about paying for anything because your administration fee is going to cover it.

    Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that you are familiar with the insurance policies of your company.  Some sites are going to require that you provide some kind of insurance for your belongings, be it renters insurance or home owners insurance.  Other properties are not going to require you to have insurance, but they are going to offer supplemental insurance packages for your convenience, typically through some kind of third party.  Other sites will neither require nor provide insurance of any sort.  Keep your eyes open for these kinds of details, as they may end up factoring into your final decision.

    Finally, here, you are going to want to get a picture of the additional purchases that you are going to have to make.  If you know that you are going to need packing and moving supplies, then you are going to want to be sure that you price them out at your location before you simply begin to buy them.  Likewise, you are going to want to be sure that you are looking into the locks that your chosen property provides.  Although many properties are going to let you get away with using a simple padlock, others are going to want to be sure that you are putting something a little bit sturdier on your door.  Some companies are even going to require that you purchase one of their locks.  As you are calling around, be sure that you are asking about lock policies.  After all, the last thing that you are going to want to deal with when you show up at your local facility is a big, nasty surprise.

    Learning your lease does not have to be all that hard.  Simply be sure that you are familiar with what you should be looking for, and you are not going to have to worry about signing something that is going to bite you in the rear in the end.

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