In case you have not heard of them, self storage auctions are a method by which storage facility owners vacate used units that have not been paid for. Sometimes the tenant refuses to pay but will not evacuate the unit themselves and sometimes tenants just disappear altogether. Either way, it leaves owners with full units that are not being paid for, which always equals a loss of profits in terms of the bottom line. Since they have no personal need for any of these things that are left behind, owners can hold auctions to quickly remove these items so that the unit is available for rent again.

If you like to frequent flea markets, rummage sales, or traditional garage sales in search of unique finds or cheap merchandise, you will love attending self storage auctions. If you love the thrill of submitting a winning bid on eBay, you will definitely enjoy it. You never know what you might find at one of these events, which is perhaps why so many people love them. Some people enjoy the good humor and nature of the event while others simply attend with the sole purpose of buying cheap and turning it over for a quick profit.

Typically, at these events you need to show up relatively early so that you can familiarize yourself with the setup and the people. If you have every intention of buying, then you need to be on the ball because at self storage auctions it can get heated if there are many motivated buyers. Of course, you typically buy merchandise by the lot, so all sales are slightly more subjective since not everyone evaluates the collection of merchandise exactly the same way. You will only have the ability to look at the open door of the unit and not inside each particular box, but you can still form a strategy based on the size of each box as well as how well the unit is packed!

Cash is king at self storage auctions. You need to come prepared with a handful of cash so that you are prepared to pay as soon as the auction is over. You need to make sure that you bring enough cash, though, because although many auctions start at $1, some lots can quickly jump to a couple hundred bucks! Sometimes it is quite obvious why this happens, as it is easy to see the valuable content inside.

If this sounds like a pretty good deal to you, you can find more information on self storage auctions by perusing your local newspaper for announcements in the “Classifieds” section, or for legal notices. Similarly, you can check online sources for updates. If you know which facilities are near your home, you can call them directly and ask when they plan to do their next auction. The Bullseye Storage Company in Houston TX, for instance, schedules an auction just about every other month, allowing community members to congregate and save a significant amount of money on many things they may have already been thinking about buying!

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