Many good reasons to diversify into self-storage on your farm

Jane on October 17, 2018

Stacks of 20ft containers, self storage site, self store

Last Updated on October 4, 2023

Shipping containers are perfect for self-storage businesses, and an increasing number of farmers are cashing in. Setting up a self-storage business is a great way for farmers to make extra money from their farms, with minimal effort and investment.

Setting up a self-storage business can be as simple as placing a group of shipping containers on a piece of land. You can then make good money renting the secure space to local people and businesses.

Self-storage; good reasons to diversify

  1. You can earn additional income from land that may otherwise be left unused.
  2. Existing land can easily be converted into a self-storage facility.
  3. Self-storage provides you with a regular income from a relatively low initial outlay.
  4. Payback from the initial outlay is only approx. 2-3 years depending on the price charged for storage.

Why use shipping containers?

  1. Shipping containers are secure – high strength ‘Corten’ steel construction and fitted with a lock box to protect the padlock.
  2. Shipping containers are durable – in addition to being built from high strength Corten (non corrosive) steel, shipping containers are coated with a marine grade paint.
  3. Containers maintain their resale value – used shipping containers have a resale value if you want to sell them.
  4. Tax advantage – you can depreciate containers which will give you a tax advantage.
  5. Shipping containers can be stacked – this allows more units to be stored on your land and therefore more revenue for you per square metre.
  6. Scalability – you can buy more units as you require them thus giving an advantage over storage buildings. You can also sell individual units if you want to free up land.
  7. Easily moved – shipping containers come with forklift pockets and can be easily moved with the right equipment.

Things to consider when starting a self-storage business

  1. Land must be hard standing to ensure that the containers are level; this ensures the containers don’t twist and doors don’t stick.
  2. It is recommended that new (once used from China) containers are used as opposed to second-hand (10-15 years old) ones.
  • They will look more attractive to potential customers
  • They will be the same colour
  • They will have less issues with condensation
  • They will last longer
  • They will require less maintenance over time
  • They are easier to finance
  1. Plan your site to maximise the number of containers that can be accommodated but ensure that customers can easily access their units; they may bring large vehicles to offload their goods.
  2. It is best to provide your own locks to ensure they fit into the lock boxes. They can be supplied with master keys so you can access if required.
  3. It is best to set up direct debits or standing orders so that you are guaranteed regular payments and don’t waste time chasing monthly payments.
  4. Containers can get condensation so you could offer ‘Absorpoles’ as an extra to your customer.
  5. Keeping your site and containers clean will make it more attractive to customers allowing you to target the higher end of the market, they will be willing to pay more and will be less likely to default on payments.

How Billie Box can help you

  1. We supply new 10ft, 20ft and 40ft containers with delivery to England and Wales
  2. We deliver shipping containers using a hi-ab vehicle that will offload your containers in the required location.
  3. Our drivers are happy to assist you in ensuring that the container is level.
  4. We can ensure that additional containers can be supplied in the same specification and colour.
  5. Our new containers come with a lock box already fitted and we also supply compatible padlocks.
  6. The locks can be supplied with master keys that allow you to open all locks used on the site.
  7. Our new containers come with air vents to help reduce condensation. If required we can also supply ‘Absorpoles’ which help prevent condensation.
  8. We can supply stacking cones and also stack the containers on top of each other (only 2 high) if required.
  9. If stacking, we can recommend a ‘Staircase’ company too.

Call us today for a quote on 0800 121 7388