Your Questions, Answered
Find clear, straightforward answers about our self storage solutions, services, and how Wigwam helps landowners, investors, and operators succeed.
Wigwam Storage Management
Frequently Asked Questions
What is self-storage management and why is it important for property owners?
Self-storage management covers the full lifecycle of developing, operating, and growing a storage facility, from planning and design through to sales, security, and revenue optimisation. For property owners, professional management ensures stable occupancy, higher returns, and compliance with health and safety.
Rather than dealing with the complexities of marketing, staffing, or technology, owners can rely on a management partner to maximise value from their asset. This is especially important in competitive UK markets where operational excellence can be the difference between low occupancy and a profitable, stabilised asset.
How does self-storage add value to underused commercial or industrial land?
Unused land, brownfield sites, or vacant retail units can be transformed into income-generating storage facilities. The appeal of self-storage lies in its resilient demand, low staffing needs, and ability to adapt unit mix to local demographics.
With professional feasibility studies and planning expertise, a landowner can unlock a steady cash flow asset in a relatively short time compared to other commercial property investments. This makes it a strong alternative to traditional retail or office redevelopments, particularly in secondary and tertiary markets.
What services does Wigwam Storage Management provide to investors and developers?
Wigwam Storage Management offers a complete service stack:
- Develop: Feasibility, underwriting, planning, design, procurement, and build oversight.
- Invest: Sourcing, due diligence, JV structuring, and financial modelling.
- Manage: Operating agreements, SOPs, BI dashboards, and owner reporting.
- Secure: CCTV, access control, GDPR alignment, and insurer compliance.
- Operate: Staffing, sales, collections, and facilities management.
- Grow: Pricing optimisation, SEO/PPC campaigns, partnerships, and NPS improvement.
This full-cycle support ensures that every stage from site identification to stabilised NOI is handled by specialists.
What are the trends driving self-storage demand in the UK?
UK self-storage is growing due to urban densification, smaller housing, the rise of e-commerce, and lifestyle shifts such as remote work and student mobility. Businesses are also turning to flexible storage rather than committing to long leases.
According to the Self Storage Association UK, occupancy and revenue per square foot have risen consistently over the past decade. This resilience through economic cycles makes the sector attractive to both private and institutional investors looking for dependable returns.
How do management agreements work in self-storage?
A management agreement is a contract between the facility owner and an operator. The owner retains the freehold or leasehold asset, while the operator runs day-to-day business under agreed KPIs. The operator is paid a base management fee plus performance-based incentives linked to revenue.
This model allows owners to benefit from sector expertise without giving up control of the asset. It also aligns incentives: the operator only earns more when the facility performs better.
What technology platforms are critical for modern self-storage operations?
Modern self-storage relies on integrated technology:
- Property Management Systems (PMS) for reservations, billing, and occupancy tracking.
- CRM tools for lead capture and conversion.
- Access control and CCTV for customer security.
- Rate management software that adjusts pricing based on supply, demand, and competition.
- BI dashboards for real-time reporting on revenue, occupancy, and KPIs.
This tech stack ensures efficient operations, reduces manual work, and enables data-driven decisions that boost profitability.
Why choose Wigwam Storage Management over other operators?
Wigwam Storage Management is a UK operator-manager that turns buildings into cash-generating storage through a single, centralised team—planning to operations—powered by Noke access, data-driven revenue management, mover-trigger marketing, and transparent KPI reporting. The model cuts overheads, accelerates fill-up, and aligns fees to owner outcomes.
What kind of returns can self-storage investors expect in the UK?
Returns vary by market, asset type, and execution. A well-located and professionally managed facility typically targets stabilised yields of 6–9% with the potential for double-digit IRRs on development projects. Strong operators can accelerate lease-up, optimise pricing, and reduce costs, which directly improves NOI. While competition and planning can be challenges, investors who partner with experienced management teams can mitigate risks and unlock steady, inflation-resistant income streams.
How does Wigwam help landowners mitigate risks in self-storage development?
Wigwam Storage Management embeds controls at every stage: pre-app planning reviews to reduce refusal risk, value engineering to control build costs, underwriting with sensitivity analysis to avoid over-projection, and BI-led pricing to prevent occupancy lag. On operations, dual-control SOPs and audit trails reduce financial leakage. On security, GDPR compliance and incident response plans protect both owners and customers. These governance measures ensure projects are resilient, compliant, and built for long-term value.
What is Micro Self Storage?
Micro self storage refers to compact, small-footprint storage facilities located in dense urban areas. These sites typically offer units ranging from 15 to 100 square feet and are designed to fit into existing buildings or underused spaces, such as:
-
former retail units
-
vacant undercrofts and service yards
-
disused workshops
-
office ground floors
-
awkward small plots within mixed-use developments
Micro self storage prioritises accessibility, convenience and cost efficiency. Instead of driving to a large facility at the city edge, customers can access storage within their own neighbourhood.
-Wigwam Storage Management-
What Our Partners Say
Trusted by landowners, investors, and operators across the UK to deliver high-performing self storage facilities.
Since transferring across to their centralised management, we have witnessed a significant increase in customer enquiries and conversion rates.
Our partnership with WMS has greatly increased the value of the property and I am eager to continue with our successful relationship.