The self-storage investment market has returned to nearly all-time historic heights. This article explores ways self-storage owners can plan today to position themselves for increased profit when they sell their property in the future.

March 19, 2013

6 Min Read
Positioning Your Self-Storage Facility for Future Profit: Planning Today for Tomorrow's Sale

By Jeffrey Supnick

The self-storage investment market has returned to nearly all-time heights. In this article, Ill explore ways facility owners can position themselves today for increased profit when they sell their property in the future.

The two main drivers of high investor interest in self-storage are the excellent current performance at the property level (occupancies and rents) and, perhaps of greater influence, todays historically low interest rates. The 10-Year U.S. Treasury bond is a primary benchmark for commercial real estate loans. To illustrate just how significant the interest-rate environment is, consider that over the past 130 years, the 10-year Treasury bond traded at an average rate of about 4  percent. In July 2012, the rate hit an all-time low of 1.47 percent. At the time of this writing, it had drifted up to just about 2 percent.

Lender rates to self-storage owners are now ranging from the mid to upper 4 percent range. Most analysts agree well see a slow but certain rise in these rates. As the 10-year bond rises, its highly likely that the interest rates will go up significantly.

Investors base their offering price for income-producing properties like self-storage on market capitalization (cap) rates. This is a calculation of the value of real estate based on the expected or desired annual rate of return, expressed as a percentage of expected income over purchase price. Market cap rates can be determined from comparable sales of recently sold properties.

Based on the character of a particular self-storage property, current cap rates are ranging from 6 percent to 8.5 percent. For example, if a property produces $400,000 in net operating income (NOI), which is income minus expenses before debt service or income taxes, and sells for $5 million, it generates an 8 percent return on investment ($400,000 divided by .08 equals $5 million).

Cap rates rise and fall as a direct result of the cost to borrow money. As interest rates rise, a buyer will, for the most part, not be willing to pay as much for your property as he would when borrowing money at much less expensive rates.

Take Advantage of Rock-Bottom Rates

So what does that mean to you as a self-storage owner? If you havent already done so, review your current financing and determine your options to refinance. In looking at new financing, a primary concern should be your exit strategy. Many loans have prepayment penalties that can make it extremely costly if you later want to sell your property.

If youre in the market for a new loan, ask the lender if it would consider providing the loan with an assumption right. The loan-assumption provision will allow a future buyer the option to benefit from what, in all likelihood, will be your lower interest rate. Theres usually an assumption fee of typically 1 percent of the loan amount. In exchange, the assumed loan will involve lesser processing costs and details.

What makes an assumption so compelling is the overwhelming likelihood that, as rates rise, the lower-interest loan will make your property more attractive to potential buyers. It will also  enable a buyer to pay you a much better price than if he needed to pay higher interest for some future market-rate loan.

Maintain Good Records

While financing is currently inexpensive, buyers and their banks are more in tune with the need to substantiate operating income and expenses, after the lack of underwriting controls that were in place prior to the recession. Potential self-storage buyers, whether institutional or single-facility owners, are unified in their need to purchase facilities whose operating procedures provide the confidence required to make a very important financial decision.

Make sure you can demonstrate to an investor that you have a sound accounting system. Dont wait until youve made the decision to sell to implement your financial controls. An investor must be convinced the numbers youre presenting adequately represent the financial condition of your property. Otherwise, he will likely pass on your opportunity or offer less than he might be willing to pay. Also make certain you have historical data to present to prospective purchasers.

Manage Rental Rates

The potential of a self-storage property to increase rental rates in the short or long term is compelling to any buying decision. In determining offering prices, buyers are often reluctant to place a value on future increased rents. Since most underwriting of value and offering price is based on income over at least a 12-month period, rental-rate increases on existing or future tenants put in place immediate prior to a sale are often discounted or even ignored by potential buyers.

So, once again, planning comes into play. Having an active program of judicially managing rents on existing and new customers will pay off well beyond the additional revenue obtained, as it can be magnified when a property goes to sale.

Keep Up With Collections

Active sellers often fear foreclosing on delinquent tenants, since such action will result in a temporary decrease in occupancy rates. At such times, its important to remember investors are not purchasing an occupancy rate but a reliable cash flow.

Do you have a number of tenants who are casual in their willingness to pay on time or are delinquent, but you figure youll eventually collect the rent? While you may eventually get your money, youre missing the opportunity to create certainty in the mind of a potential buyer whos willing to pay more for a facility with a perceived superior rent roll.

Make a Good Impression

There are some other things you can do today to prepare your facility for a future sale. This includes improving the curb appeal and enhancing the overall maintenanceeven if youre full. If your office is too small to effectively serve as a retail center for moving and storage items, consider expanding into an adjoining storage unit.

In doing so, youll not only increase the potential for more revenue, but provide for a greater selling price based on the capitalized value of that additional income. Take the steps above so that when it comes time to sell your facility, it will attract quality investors at a good price.

Jeffrey Supnick is president of Supnick Real Estate Co. and a 27-year veteran of the self-storage industry. He has formerly served as a real estate officer for Public Storage Inc. and Storage USA. Supnick Real Estate is a full-service firm devoted exclusively to self-storage brokerage, consulting and property-management services. For more information, call 856.722.1414; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.supnick.com .

Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter
ISS is the most comprehensive source for self-storage news, feature stories, videos and more.

You May Also Like