Kelowna, BC (PRWEB) January 27, 2017 -- As a leading Kelowna self storage company, Space Centre Storage sees trends come and go, along with the varying needs of their clients. In 2017, it appears that changes in the local real estate market, combined with homeowners’ shifting lifestyle preferences, will be the driving forces behind the ever-evolving need for storage solutions.
Last year saw an increase in the number of Okanagan homeowners who are downsizing to more affordable and convenient multi-unit dwellings, such as condominiums and townhouses. According to a recent report in the Kelowna Capital News, that pattern is set to continue. Citing an OMREB (Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board) survey, the article indicates that 18.4 per cent of all properties that closed in November 2016 were for the purpose of downsizing.
“With multi-family units like condominiums and townhouses, there just isn’t enough room for everything,” says Yvonne Rogers, Operations Manager at Space Centre Storage. “And for people with RVs and other vehicles, there are bylaws and strata regulations for these types of properties that prevent you from parking in the street, or even on your property. Homeowners must put vehicles in their garages or find somewhere else to store it.”
To make up for the lack of in-home storage, Rogers says many homeowners are relying on Kelowna self storage to keep clutter at bay.
More and more property sellers are also turning to storage containers to stage their homes effectively, and to get them ready for sale. It gives homeowners a place to put unnecessary clutter, and to store things like furniture, appliances and valuables during renovations.
“That’s the first thing realtors will tell a potential client: to get rid of non-essential stuff so each area in your home looks like an open space,” says Rogers. “This makes it far more attractive to buyers.
“For renovations, it’s so convenient to have a place to put your stuff while you get the work done.”
Rogers adds that Space Centre Storage’s MI-BOX® portable storage containers have continued to grow in popularity, as they give homeowners accessibility to their belongings right on their property.
Another continued area of growth for Kelowna self storage companies is with the local student population. UBC Okanagan and Okanagan College are both thriving post-secondary institutions. The former’s student body has nearly tripled since its inception in 2005.
Every spring, as final exams come to an end, many students return home, or seek summer employment elsewhere. Self storage allows them to stow their belongings until they return.
And as Rogers notes, Space Centre Storage provides a range of options for its clients and is one of the only facilities that offer climate-controlled storage units. They also offer cost-effective outdoor storage for things like boats and RVs.
On the commercial side of things, one trend Rogers has noticed is an increase in the number of home-based and online businesses seeking lease space for their growing inventories. Commercial lease space is also useful as a depot—Space Centre Storage offers shipping and receiving services to meet business needs.
“We see quite a few individual sales representatives that need it as a form of transitional storage,” explains Rogers. “They use it to receive their deliveries, collect their product and hit the road.”
About Space Centre Storage
Space Centre Storage in Kelowna has been providing Okanagan storage solutions since 1985. Residential storage services include self storage in a variety of sizes, the MI-BOX® portable storage containers, moving supplies, mailboxes and indoor and outdoor RV & boat storage. Space Centre also offers commercial lease space and mini-warehousing, with forklift and load docks for business customers.
For more information, please contact:
Yvonne Rogers
Operations Manager
Space Centre Self Storage
info(at)spacecentrestorage(dot)com
250-765-4125
http://www.spacecentrestorage.com
Yvonne Rogers, Space Centre Storage, http://www.spacecentrestorage.com/, +1 (250) 765-4125, [email protected]
SOURCE Space Centre Storage
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