Home Is Where the Heart Is

Working as a manager in this industry, it is not uncommon for you to have on-site housing at the facility you manage. But adapting this home--which can come in all shapes and sizes--to your lifestyle can sometimes be quite a challenge. I am sure some of you can relate to having a one-bedroom apartment to accommodate you, your spouse and a child, or having to put two children in the same bedroom. It may be wonderful to have the benefit of housing, but it's frustrating when it doesn't meet your needs. When you take the job, you take on this new home and begin to adapt it to your family situation.

During the experience of living on three different self-storage sites over the past five years, my husband, Jim, and I have had to be creative in many instances. Our first managers' apartment was smaller than a mobile home and had to house the office as well as our belongings. Our next apartment had fantastic local and cultural assets--being near Cape Cod, Mass., and the ocean--and we had fun adopting a beach and nautical theme. But the challenge was the place had only a loft bedroom. We frequently had to find a reasonable motel close by to accommodate those who came to visit.

For a while, self-storage owners started to phase out resident managers to try to cut costs; but it was determined the security and peace of mind they provided company and customer was too valuable to relinquish. We are seeing the resident manager become an important asset once again, and developers are becoming more aware of what constitutes proper housing. That is great for the new builds being constructed, yet many of us still have to make due with the housing already available.

I have found it exciting to decorate homes with various disadvantages and would like to share some thoughts and ideas that may help with your interior-design challenges. Some homes may be easier to adapt than others. Don't give up, though--after all, it is your home.

Our home is our haven, and whatever we can do to make it a comfortable place affording privacy and serenity is marvelous. This is where we find rejuvenation and motivation to face the next demanding day.

If you have other ideas you have found useful in adapting your on-site apartment, send an e-mail to [email protected].  Perhaps we can share these ideas in future articles. If you have a challenging living space and would like suggestions on finding solutions, feel free to include photos. Until then, be creative. Finally, I would like to thank David Fleming, the regular writer of this bimonthly column, for allowing me to contribute this article.

Donna Potter and her husband, Jim, currently manage Premier Self Storage in Lancaster, N.Y. They have previously managed facilities for U-Haul and Sovran Self Storage and have received recognition by their employers and the media for outstanding industry achievements.

Premier Self Storage is currently seeking full-time resident managers. For more information, contact David Fleming at [email protected].