Storekat - Rent out Your Spare Space to Make Some Extra Money

AssociatedLdanstorekat @ storekat.com on 06/01/2016 - 19:31
Last edited 06/01/2016 - 19:43 by 1 other user

Hi OzBargainers,

We've just launched Storekat to take the hassle out of finding storage in the right location and at a price that suits.

Storekat enables anyone with spare space to rent it out as storage and make some extra money. We're currently promoting Storekat to people that may want to list their space on our website, it could be your spare room, storage cage, parking spot, driveway, office space… anything!

We operate in a similar manner to Airbnb, but instead of having people stay with you, you may have someone's bike, couch or other belongings perhaps while they are travelling or moving.

For people looking for storage, Storekat offers both commercial and private options so people have the choice of the option that meets their needs.

If you're interested in listing your space, or if you're looking for storage, please head over to our website @ https://storekat.com

Feel free to comment or drop us a line if you have any feedback, suggestions or just to say hi! We'd love to hear what you think.

Cheers, and happy new year!
Dan

PS. We currently have two members looking for storage:

  • One member is looking to store two cars (preferably together) on the Sunshine Coast, QLD
  • One member is looking to store general household goods and effects in Yarraville, VIC

If you would like to take these opportunities, list your space on https://storekat.com and drop me a line at [email protected] and I'll let them know

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Comments

  • the-mal on 06/01/2016 - 19:49
    +3

    Reputation would take quite a while to accumulate for non-commercial store-ee (those with storage) I'd imagine. If I had spare garage space I'm assuming I'd have one or two people store there, and it'd be long term, so I'd get hardly any reputation.

    And as as store-er (those who want storage) I'd be super hesitant to pay money to store my stuff in some strangers place. Where they can go through it, refuse to return it, disappear with it, leave it open to damage etc.

    Commercial storage options work because they're large, commercial and well run. I know that self-storage places are secure, are monitored, and I sign a bunch of paper work that covers them and me.

    AirBnb works because:

    a) There is quick turnaround thus reputation is accumulated quickly and
    b) The "worst case scenario" of getting a "dodgy" place is relatively minimal - a bad nights sleep or a stinky pillow - not the loss or destruction of personal goods of monetary or sentimental value

    I don't mean to be "that guy" but what kind of assurances would I have that would make me consider this over the established Self Storage places that are located everywhere?

    If I had some guys push bike stored at my place, I'd probably have a sneaky ride. And I'd consider myself a pretty decent person. So I'd hate to think what a jerk might do…

    • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 06/01/2016 - 22:18

      Thanks for comments the-mal! And no worries, before we began, we put ourselves in the shoes of 'that guy' and asked ourselves the same questions. We also spoke with various friends and family and conducted some research (surveys) to gauge interest and barriers.

      From our research, there were some items that people said they would be comfortable storing with someone else. For example, temporarily storing furniture, bikes, cars in a locked garage or parking space. Basically things they didn't want to dispose of (obviously not a working car), but didn't have room for. There are of course things that they would not be comfortable storing, which can be summarised as things of high value (monetary or sentimental). What we took away from it though, was that there is a market for it.

      It's true that it would take some time to accumulate reputation, we're currently looking at integrating some ID checks and tweaking the reputation/ratings engine. The risks that you've highlighted are real, so they would need to be kept in mind when storing things, but peer to peer storage is going to be based on trust. We are currently eating our own dog food and storing some items with a couple of our members.

      Commercial options definitely work because of all the offerings you've described above. However, the feedback we had around it was that sometimes the price quoted for commercial storage was more than people were willing to pay, which again was mainly attributed to the value (monetary/sentimental) of the items described above.

      We're realistic about peoples experiences, and just like Airbnb we're hoping to attract respectful and decent people.

      • the-mal on 07/01/2016 - 09:59
        +1

        From our research, there were some items that people said they would be comfortable storing with someone else. For example, temporarily storing furniture, bikes, cars in a locked garage or parking space.

        I guess I'm just not representative of your research then. The thought of storing my stuff of value (and let's face it, it must have value for me to pay to store it, otherwise I'd chuck it out) leaves me feeling very uneasy.

        There are of course things that they would not be comfortable storing, which can be summarised as things of high value (monetary or sentimental).

        If your things are of low value, why would you pay a recurring fee to store them? If the cost of storage is higher that the (low) value of the goods then it makes more sense to chuck them out. Paying for storage only makes sense for things of value, because you're paying. Unless I'm missing something?

        However, the feedback we had around it was that sometimes the price quoted for commercial storage was more than people were willing to pay

        From my own research when I had to store things in the last year it's a very competitive industry. And you get what you pay for. It seems odd to me that there's a market for people who want to pay to store things of low value that they care about enough to store and pay for, but don't care about enough to ensure security.

        Your T&C's seem to basically absolve you guys of everything other than the payment transaction too, which is a bit concerning. With professional storage options I have coverage for my goods. With you guys it's essentially some guy has my stuff and I've got to do all the checks and balances to make sure he's trustworthy with it because if not…I'm on my own.

        Also I don't see why I'd book a commercial company through you guys as opposed to directly with them as then I wouldn't be incurring the ~7.5% + flat fee cost of you being the middleman.

        I think I'm way too skeptical to be your target market. To me if i value my goods enough to pay for storage I should value them enough not to risk leaving them with some guy I don't know from a bar of soap.

        Regardless, your website is spiffy and I love the entrepreneurial spirit so good luck with it!

        • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 07/01/2016 - 11:43

          Hi the-mal,

          Noted on the private side of things, and we definitely recommend that people choose a storage option that carries the level of risk that they're comfortable with. Personally, I've moved around a lot over the years and had to dispose of and then re-acquire many items. For me, going through the acquisition process over and over again was a major pain. If there was a cheaper than commercial option to store my furniture (which was all second hand anyway) then I'd have probably gone for it to save myself the hassle.

          On the T&Cs, its commercially unfeasible for us to take responsibility for an agreement between two private parties, however, we provide a sample contract which they can use between themselves if they're happy with the risk. We are also in talks with underwriters about providing insurance options.

          I hear what you're saying though, but I think its case of risk preference and different strokes for different folks. I'd definitely be keen to get any ideas of how the model could be made more attractive for someone like yourself.'

          In terms of going directly to commercial company, the value we bring (for commercial providers) is that we provide a platform for the 1000 or so smaller/independent self storage providers in the country that don't feature in the first two pages of a Google search. This is also something that I found to be a pain when looking for commercial self storage. So much so that we just published a blog article about it.

          The value we bring for customers is one of convenience, one central place where they will be able to easily find the right storage option for them. We don't hide commercial provider details, so customers can go direct if they want. However, we also offer the convenience of just booking it online.

          Thanks for the website compliment, and we genuinely appreciate your feedback.

    • [Deactivated] on 06/01/2016 - 23:02
      +1

      So I'd hate to think what a jerk might do…

      It'd probably leave a stain, to say the least.

  • nocure on 06/01/2016 - 19:58
    +1

    So I'd hate to think what a jerk might do…

    Straight onto gumtree./

  • ozhunter on 06/01/2016 - 20:08

    What if the stored items get stolen/damaged?

    • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 06/01/2016 - 22:32

      Hi Ozhunter,

      Thanks for the comment and a valid concern. There are many storage options available, including commercial. We definitely recommend that people choose a storage option that carries the level of risk that they're comfortable with.

      For the type of items mentioned above, for example, lets say a dining set picked up for $20 at a garage sale for a student or son/daughter leaving home then the risk may be acceptable. For some old ski gear, old books/DVDs then maybe a storage cage with a lock/key may suffice. Storing excess computer/office equipment or excess stock may require commercial storage or a private rental through an established business.

  • argonide on 06/01/2016 - 20:50
    +1

    Rent It Out!

    • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 06/01/2016 - 22:33

      This is awesome, and getting posted on Storekat social media! :)

  • Ughhh on 06/01/2016 - 20:57

    How do you know you're not renting the space to a meth lab boss (who needed more space or a hideout)? Or hoarder who hoards things from old rusty invaluable crap to their dead cats?

    • nocure on 06/01/2016 - 21:20

      Why do the cats have to be dead?

      • Ughhh on 06/01/2016 - 21:26

        Good question, ask the crazy cat lady.

        • nocure on 06/01/2016 - 22:12

          Can't

        • Ughhh on 06/01/2016 - 23:06

          @nocure:

          Maybe it's why she's in the naughty box forever

    • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 06/01/2016 - 22:40

      Hi Ughhh!

      Storage providers take responsibility for what they choose to store. They should inspect it to make sure there is nothing dangerous or illegal.

      Booking requests from anyone named 'W.White' asking to store 'science equipment' is probably a warning sign.

  • bikuta on 07/01/2016 - 09:42

    I think this is a great idea. It might take some time, but who knows where it could go, that's the exciting part about launching a new startup/idea!

    • Associateddanstorekat @ storekat.com on 07/01/2016 - 09:44

      Thanks bikuta! Its been an exciting journey so far. Feel free to pass our details on to anyone you think might be interested!

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