For this exercise, there is only one page you need to look at, and that is the individual space detail page found by logging in to your member account and selecting the listing.  Ensure tjat the address details are correct and then review each other field and choose  (or enter) the most appropriate values  for each.

Is your space a garage, a room or a parking space etc? What is the access? Determine how much you are charging for your space – if you ask too much you are unlikely to get many responses. Take a look at local storage rates, you can see the results of our Australian nation wide storage price survey or even call self storage operators in your neighbourhood and ask for a quote for the size of space you have as a guide.  We typically recommend 50-70% of the ‘professional’ rate.

Next include accurate measurements for your space so SpaceSeekers can match their needs.

The Space Profile is the most important field on the page. You need to give potential SpaceRenters a mental picture of the space. Here is an example of a poor space profile which will leave more questions than answers, followed by a simple, informative one:

“Got a spare room for rent.”

versus:

“Spare rumpus room within our house for storage. Secure, dry and accessible from driveway by ramp. Area is tiled, lockable and has a big double door entrance.”

Obviously the second example gives a clearer picture of the storage area even though it is pretty short, and you’d probably more inclined to go with this right? And so would a potential SpaceRenter.

The Owner Profile field is really to give a simple picture of you – it doesn’t need to be a life story obviously, but something that gives potential renters an idea of what your situation is. For example:  “Mum, dad, two children, cat and 2 dogs. Not many visitors and home a lot.”

And that’s as simple as it needs to be. 5-10 minutes of thought on this page can make all the difference in the Private storage world. Put yourself in the shoes of a SpaceSeeker and think about what you’d like to see.

Happy renting!!

• Coolup, WA (about 1hr south of Perth)  – 40,000 m² of land with a shed approximately 4,000 m²
  
• Mt Tamborine, QLD – Cool Storage  Wanted from March 2010 that can handle 60 ton (equivalent of  4 x 20′ containers) of fruit. The fruit needs to be fork lifted into the shed and then distributed from the location for two months. Any Gold Coast area also considered.
• Wivenhoe Pocket – QLD – approximately 3 acres of fully fenced land available with a lockable gate, all weather access from a bitumen road – ample room to park a number of cars,trucks or equipment, suitable also for recreation or anything else you may have in mind.
• Catani VIC – a huge stable complex which would suit long term parking/storage for motor vehicles,boats,caravans,anything on wheels,also outside storage also available as complex is on 20 acres of grazing land some horse agistment may also be available.

We are working on a whole new Rural section for the SpaceOut site that will be setup specifically for Farming and Rural communities.  We expect this section to be available soon, but click the links above for a sneak preview

Traditionally farmers have always been pretty community oriented and often shared resources. However, in the past this type of collaboration depended largely on word of mouth and “knowing” someone (or knowing of someone) who had a resource that could be shared or swapped.  Now, with the services available through SpaceOut, this can be expanded so that whole communities can advertise and share their spare or unused resources.

We are VERY excited to announce that we have created three brand new Listing Types – specifically for Farmers and Rural Communities :

• Rural – Shed : this category is designed for sheds of all descriptions – Cow sheds, Stables, Shearing Sheds, Hay Sheds, Storage Sheds, Machinery Sheds – pretty much any building that stuff (or livestock) could be kept in.
• Rural – Paddock : this category is for open spaces that could be used for agistment, or storing vehicles or machinery, or even (I guess) growing crops
• Rural – Other : this category is for all the other farming / rural related stuff that we haven’t yet even thought of

To make use of these Listing Types, simply select form the drop-down list when creating your Space for Rent or Space Wanted Listing.

I’d like to put my hand up and admit that the SpaceOut founders are essentially “city boys” with relatively little exposure to farming life, so we are very open to (and in fact encourage) comments and feedback on these new categories.  We are quite willing (and able) to change or expand the rural listing types, so please feel free to add your comments to this post – or contact us directly with your feedback.

And if these categories happen to become as popular as we think that they might, we may even be able to create a whole new “Rural” section on SpaceOut – catering specifically to the needs of Australia’s Farming and Rural Communities.

On Saturday night I was at my Brother in law’s farm for his 30th, and he was telling all his farming mates about www.spaceout.com.au . I was not saying too much – just letting Rick tell his farming mates about us and to my surprise they loved the concept! Of course they share their neighbor’s space all the time for stock agistment (you pay to have stock on someone’s paddock), share cropping, machinery and produce storage. However, they rely very much on word of mouth and their own contacts.

My brother in law Rick said – “I could think of a heap of ways that SpaceOut could help me.
• I have storage for hay and grain on this place.
• At times I have a heap of feed for agistment.
• At certain times of the year I am looking for places to store my gear when I go around doing contract harvesting.
• If someone in town has a caravan or motorhome they need to park in a shed I have the space”.

As the conversation went on they all chimed in with ideas. Stables for horses…”I have a spare couple of stables said Peter from up the road”. I might find a close Shearing Shed when I need one. Someone from town could store there boat here and on they went.

www.SpaceOut.com.au is all about community pulling together to make and save money. Farmers are great community-minded people.
I reckon farmers could really get a lot out of this service. SpaceOut is still free, so now is the time to get on board.

Nathon Irvin

nathon@spaceout.com.au