How To Find Public Self-Storage Auctions
Have you watched every episode of Storage Wars and are dying to try making money on a locker yourself? Are you just curious about how it works in real life?
Here’s where to look to find storage auctions.
-Visit the self storage association website for your state to locate upcoming auctions. For example, the Texas SSA lists auctions at http://auction.txssa.org/.
-Locate auctioneer websites. Professional, independent auctioneers, not storage facility employees, run self-storage auctions. They earn money for doing this, so they have an incentive to advertise their upcoming auctions. For examples, check out http://hammerdownauctionsinc.com/auctions/south-florida-auctions.html and http://www.auctionzip.com/MD-Auctioneers/12474.html.
-Storage company websites sometimes advertise their auctions. Others don’t. Considering that the websites are largely designed to attract new customers, they may not want to advertise what will happen to a customer’s stuff if they don’t pay. One that does is CubeSmart, http://www.cubesmart.com/storage-auctions/. Only about 10% of self-storage companies are big-name public corporations like Public Storage and U-Haul, so do a zip code search to locate lesser-known facilities in your area.
-Call facilities and ask. If a facility doesn’t advertise its auctions online, call to inquire.
-Use a self-storage auction locator website like http://www.sparefoot.com/auctions.html or http://www.auctionzip.com/storage.html. Some websites will even show how many units are being auctioned off on a given date and provide a general idea of what each unit contains.
When you’re deciding which storage auctions to visit, you might want to focus on convenience and stick with facilities near your home. But if you are trying to think about it more strategically, don’t assume that the best parts of town have the best stuff—people from wealthier areas sometimes store their stuff in less expensive areas where the rent is cheaper.
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