Traditionally January is the busiest time of the year for Self Storage.  Many people tend to spend time over Christmas tidying, sorting and preparing for the year ahead – so if YOU have a spare room, garage, shed, parking spot, office, hall, backyard, or even a paddock or barn that you are not using – it may be of use to someone else – and NOW is a perfect opportunity to turn it into some extra ongoing income.

As a special Christmas/New Year offer to SpaceOut members and visitors, we are giving you the chance to try out SpaceOut for free.  So if you’ve wondered whether renting out some of your unused space might be a good way to earn some extra cash, but didn’t want to commit to an upfront listing fee, now is your opportunity to try it out for absolutely nothing.

Limited Time Only

For a limited time (until the end of January 2012) you can create your Space for Rent Listing and get the first two months for FREE.

You will need to sign up for future payments, but can cancel any time you wish, so you could advertise and rent out your space within the first two months and pay nothing at all to get an ongoing residual income.

Spaceout has always been outstanding value (we think that it still is),  and  we have always wanted our service to be used by (and useful to) as many people as possible throughout Australia, so introducing a small fee is not a decision we have taken lightly.    But  after much debate and consideration we are confident that introducing a fee is the best way to ensure that SpaceOut and the unique service that we provide, continues to grow and improve in the future.

Why A Listing Fee?

Here are some of the reasons why we have decided to introduce a fee for creating a new Space for Rent listing :

• Is it Really Free ? - this was by far the question that we got asked most often.  People were surprised that we were offering Spaceout as a free service in the first place, and even after we explained that it really was free, many were still suspicious and wondered what the catch was (there wasn’t one!!).  By introducing a fee, we recognise that some people may no longer list with us, but our market research suggest that even as a paid service SpaceOut offers great value (the possibility of earning $200 or more a month, easily outweighs the listing costs), and that in fact, many people are likely to be more comfortable paying a fee.
• Improving the Listing Standard – we’ve noticed that the listings some members create are very basic – often containing very little (or no) additional information about the space itself. This makes it harder for people to decide whether or not the space may be suit their needs.  Because the listing was free, some members seemed to feel that they shouldn’t bother about putting much effort into their listing (probably not realising that more detailed listings tend to get rented out faster). We believe that the small fee will encourage people to spend a little more time preparing their listings – making them more detailed and informative – which is better for everyone.
• Keeping it Fresh – Free listings provide no  real incentive for the owner to flag their space as leased once they have rented it out.  Some people members just let their listing expire at the end of three months – even though they have leased out the space.  This meant that they would get extra “contact requests” – which were sometimes ignored, and sometimes when people enquired about a space they were told that it was no longer available.  The monthly subscription provides an incentive for space owners to be a bit more proactive about managing their listing – which leads to a better experience for people looking for space, as they are less likely to find a space which is no longer actually available.
• Ongoing development – creating and running an online service like SpaceOut is not a cheap exercise.  We get suggestions and requests from members for improvements to the service (thanks very much for those), and have lots of plans or how we can improve and expand the functionality of the site.  Generating some sort of income from the site means that we will have more funds that we can put towards improvements – and will be able to offer additional functionality and features faster (and better) than we would have been able to otherwise.

How is the fee applied?

Once we had agreed that a  fee was necessary, we needed to look at the best way to apply this.  We considered quite a few different approaches, including

• a one off  fee, to allow listing  until the space had been rented (e.g. $50 for the life of the listing),
• a commission (a percentage of the space rental rate) once the space had been successfully leased (e.g. 20% of the monthly rental rate),
• a set price for a set listing period (e.g. $30 for 3 months),
• a sliding fee based on the advertised monthly space rental,

… but decided that a simple fixed price monthly subscription was the most reasonable and best value approach.

Monthly Subscription via Paypal

A monthly subscription allows us to charge a relatively small fee, and means that owners only need to pay for their listing until they rent out their space – they don’t have to pay for a big chunk of time that they may not even need.

We have decided to use Paypal (probably the world’s most popular payment system),  to manage the subscription process as this allows our members to have complete control of their own subscription and lets them review and update (or cancel) their subscription whenever they wish.  This means that members will need to register with Paypal (if they don’t already have an account), but provides them with greater flexibility in payment methods, and guarantees safe and secure payments.

When a new listing is created, as the final part of the listing process, owners will be directed to Paypal to confirm the subscription.  An initial payment will be made, and the listing will be activated, then, each month (on the anniversary of the original listing start date) another payment will automatically be applied, and the listing will automatically be extended for another month.

The subscription can be cancelled at any time (via the members Paypal account) – for example once the space has been leased out, or if it is decided that the listing is no longer required.  Once a subscription has been cancelled, the listing will remain active until the end of the current month’s listing period ( the status can still be set to Leased or Do Not Display to stop it showing up on SpaceOut).

Members will receive email notification when the subscription (and listing) is created, and monthly notification each time a payment is made.

You can find out more about the current space listing fees, or read more details about how the  payment process works.  We would also love to get your feedback on SpaceOut subscription, so if you’ve got anything you’d like us to know, please feel free to contact us.

Instead of buying a commercial property though, renting office space is increasingly becoming the solution of choice for many small businesses.  Leasing  office space can be great option for many different reasons.  We’ve collated a list of 5 advantages renting office space has over buying :

1. Flexible – Renting office space allows greater flexibility and doesn’t usually commit you to long term decisions. If you are uncertain of the future growth of your business choosing to buy office space can be a very scary prospect. Short to medium term leasing arrangements allow you to could choose a space that meets your current needs and provides greater flexibility to expand (or reduce) your space needs in the future.
2. Try it Out – choosing to rent office space – particularly for a new business, or in a new area – allows you to “test the water” and check to see how the business performs in that particular area or environment. If things don’t happen to work out as expected it’s generally a good deal easier to break a lease than it is to sell a property.
3. Mobility – Choosing to rent an office space means that you are more mobile. You will not be tied down to a particular location and will find it a good deal easier to move premises if and when you choose.
4. Cost – Renting Office space is almost certainly going to be significantly cheaper than buying it.  You will also not have the responsibilities of all the other expenses associated with owning a property.  Property maintenance can add a significant overheads for property owners, whereas if you are renting the space this will be the landlords responsibility.
5. Responsibility – Running a business is tough enough without having to worry about all the extra issues associated with property ownership.  Renting your space means you can focus on running your business.

The primary aim of any business is to get a reasonable return on their investment – with as little as possible cost, or effort.  Small business owners in particular often struggle with the logistics of the day to day management of their business. Renting office space instead of buying it is a cheaper, safer, simpler, and more flexible option for most businesses.

Whether  you are looking for office space to rent, or are interested in renting out surplus space in your commercial premises, SpaceOut can help you make the choice easier.

What is Co-working Space?

Co-working space, is essentially a shared office environment where professionals and freelancers (often, but not always, in related industries) work together in the same space, swap ideas and resources, enjoy social interaction, and all at a price that is generally much more affordable that the alternatives.

The co-working concept has proved to be particularly appealing for creative based professionals, such as web and graphic designers, PR consultants, copy writers, and marketing freelancers.

Co-working is ideal for freelancers and self-employed who have found that the realities of working from home aren’t quite what they had expected. Home based workers can face issues such as isolation, lack of networking and fewer opportunities for collaboration. It can also be very difficult for solo workers to find office space for just one person at a price they can afford, while traditional serviced office facilities may be too expensive and impersonal.

One significant advantage of co-working over traditional office space lease arrangements is that a long-term commercial lease or full-serviced office rental arrangements are not normally required, so the shared office space may be available for as long (or short) as you need.

Co-working in the USA

Co-working is alive and well in the US, with a variety of different shared spaces available – including the well known co-working spaces Citizen Space and the Hat Factory in San Francisco and various other shared office services in other US cities. Co-working in the US has been described as “offering a techie twist on the age-old practice of artists or writers teaming up to rent studio space“.

Co-working catches on in Australia

Co-working is now also catching on in Australia.  As a direct result of a growing demand from self-employed creatives and freelancers to have an affordable workspace away from home, spaces are opening in many capitals, including Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.

Some shared office spaces, like Melbourne co-working space OpenHub (www.openhub.com.au), were started by companies looking to share the cost of office space.  OpenHub offers a variety of different services – from a one off use of a meeting room (@$120) to a Full-time dedicated desk space (@$600).  OpenHub even offer a Free service for Co-workers associated with charity based projects.

Water Street Studio (www.waterstreetstudio.com.au) in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, provides desk space in an airconditioned office, with internet, electricity and access to a meeting room / boardroom included. They offer shared office space from just $150 per week  for a minimum 3 month term, with no bond or formal lease required.

Shared Office Listings

Online services such as SpaceOut (www.spaceout.com.au) also provide information about office space for rent, and regularly have listings for shared office space in many areas throughout Australia.

Whether you are searching for shared office space or would like to make a little extra income by renting out your spare office space , the co-working concept seems destined to be a trend that will continue to grow.

Shed a nice little earner

Empty driveways, garages and sheds around Perth are being turned into cash cows.

Scores of people are pocketing up to $500 a month by renting out empty space they think could be useful to someone else.

SpaceOut.com.au is a website the matches “SpaceOwners” with “SpaceSeekers”.

Founder Damon Russell said. “When home and business owners realise that their unused space could be earning them a regular rental income with little or no effort, it is a real no-brainer”

Bayswater resident Carol Marshall is hoping to make some extra cash out of her back shed. She is asking #90 a week to rent it.

Mr Russell said the idea cam to him when he needed somewhere to store his belongings while he went overseas.

Data released yesterday by Commsec shows that over the last 20 years, the average size of a home in Australia has increased by more than 30%.

The houses are emptier too, with the number of people in each home gradually declining over the last 100 years because of a trend towards smaller families.  This trend has only just started to change, with the number of people to a dwelling rising slightly last year – the first time it has done so in over a century.

However, with the increase in house sizes, there appears to be a corresponding increase  in rental costs.  A report from BIS Shrapnel has  also forecast that rents are expected to spiral – with increased rents of 5% a year in most capital cities over the next few years.

So, if you (like many Aussies apparently) are living in a large home  and have more space than you know what to do with, now is a prime opportunity to cash in on it.  You can convert that empty,  unused, or spare  space into a regular extra income – simply advertise your space for rent, make some extra cash, and provide an opportunity for someone else in your community to save money on storage costs.

The new nation-wide survey reveals some shocking results, with the most expensive storage facilities (in Sydney) charging more than $800 a month for a single garage sized space.

The new survey data – just released on SpaceOut.com.au – shows not only a  huge price gap between city and country areas, but also massive variations between capital cities.  Even within the same city, storage prices in adjacent suburbs (and in some cases the same suburb) can also vary significantly.

More than 700 self storage facilities throughout Australia were surveyed, and asked to provide prices for some of the most popular storage sizes – small (3×3 m), medium (3×5 m) and large (3 x 8m) storage units as well as outside storage/parking for cars and boats.

The most expensive place to rent storage space in the nation is Sydney where you can pay over $800 a month for a regular single-car garage sized space!  This is followed by Melbourne at over $600, and Brisbane at $500 plus.

Not surprisingly, the survey also revealed a significant price discrepancy between city and country storage costs – with country storage units costing around 40-70% of their capital city counterparts.  The cheapest places to store your car or boat were Tasmania, and country regions of SA, WA and Victoria.

Another interesting statistic highlighted by the study, shows that independently owned self storage facilities tend to be priced around 25% lower than self storage facility chains.  The national average for large chains for a 3×7 metre storage unit is $389 a month and the same space from independent facilities averages  just $273 per month.

This survey was commissioned by SpaceOut on behalf of its members – to assist them in setting private storage prices.   Based on these survey results, it is no wonder that people looking for storage space are turning to alternate space rental services such as SpaceOut – which provides an online service where  home and business owners can rent out their unused space to those looking for storage at more affordable rates.

You can find a summary of the Australian Self Storage Price Survey (2009) along with a breakdown (state by state) of the survey results at www.spaceout.com.au

The story covered a range of opportunities to make money out of your home.

• House Swap – If you’re planning a holiday, you don’t have to necessarily pay out of your own  pockets for accommodation.  You could save money on accommodation and car hire as well by doing a house swap. For more information visit: www.aussiehouseswap.com.au or www.homelink.com.au

• Make Your House a Star – You could earn up to $5,000 a day by renting your house out for filming of television commercials, series or film production.

• Renovate and Reap the Rewards – Effie Zahos from Money Magazine says investing in some construction work on your house can make the value soar. “Dropping in $5,000 to tart up your place could actually get you around $25,000 return,” she says.

and of course

• Rent Out Your Space – Rent out unused space in your home or business (or even farm) and turn it into cash – making money from nothing has never been so easy.  You can Register for free and Create your own Listing right now.

And here is a copy of the clip so you can take a look yourself :

This is a question that we get asked a lot – many people just can’t believe that the service is Completely Free and seem to spend a good deal of time trying to work out what “the catch” is.

Well, Good News – the short answer is :  Yes,  SpaceOut IS Completely Free – There is no cost to join up as a member, no cost to create your Listing, no cost to send messages to/from members using the SpaceOut message system, and we don’t take any sort of commission whether or not you find or rent out a space via SpaceOut (we have nothing to do with the agreement or payments between Owners and Seekers).

And the Long Answer ? -  SpaceOut is free – at the moment.  Whilst we do not currently charge anything at all, this may change at some stage in the future – but if/when it does, it will not affect any existing listings, which will continue be free at least until they expire.

Although we have had lots of fun getting SpaceOut up and running, it is essentially a business, so we will need to ultimately generate some income to cover  costs (and perhaps even make a profit down the line).  We have a number of ideas about how this may be achieved – not all of which necessarily involve charging members for listings.

Currently we have no firm plans  if or when fees may be applied, but we expect to be able to give existing members plenty of notice if  this happens.  So if you’d like to take advantage of our completely free service – NOW is the best time for you to create your listing.

We sometimes get asked about how members can make their listings easier to find, or more visible in Search Engines.

We have put quite a bit of effort into optimising the site, so that ALL listings can easily be found and indexed by search engines.  We already achieve excellent rankings for specific (town/suburb) based search queries, but the more listings we have in an area, the more likely it is for those listings to be found via google searches.

In short, the more popular SpaceOut becomes, the more listings we get, and the easier it is for people who don’t already know about SpaceOut to find us (and your listing) on the search engines.

The best thing you could do to help your own listing be found, is to tell as many people as you can about SpaceOut and get them to create their own listings.  You could do this via our Tell a Friend page, or simply copy and paste the following text – and email it out to people you know (substituting in your own details for the ones highlighted in red below):

Hi,

This is just a quick email to let you know that I am currently looking for someone who may be interested in renting out a storage space in Brisbane.  I have recently created a listing on www.SpaceOut.com.au  – To find the details,  go to www.spaceout.com.au/search-for-space/Brisbane-QLD

I’d much rather deal with someone I know, so if you (or someone you know) might be interested, please pass on the link above and have them contact me directly or via the SpaceOut website.

We have found that this can be a VERY effective way for you to spread the word about your space, and you might even be able to help out one of your mates in the process.  If you’ve any other, hints, tips or suggestions about promoting your listing – please feel free to add a comment.

From time to time we include “Featured Space Listings” in this blog.  So if  there is something a little unusual or special about your space – or what you are wanting to use a space for, please let us know. Tell us your story, and maybe send us a photo or two, and we may even be able to do a feature on your own Space for Rent or Space Wanted listing.