Notes on the business of self-storage, from Europe and beyond.
Self-storage Notes is a place to write about the business of self-storage: the questions, ideas, decisions and changes that seem worth discussing as the industry evolves.
The subjects range from markets, investment and valuation to development, operations, regulation, technology and customer behaviour. Some pieces start with a question I have encountered through my work; others with something happening in the industry that I find interesting, surprising or worth thinking through.
The intention is not to produce research reports or offer definitive answers. It is closer to thinking out loud — sharing experience, observations and points of view, using data and real examples where they help, and leaving room for uncertainty where the answer is less clear.
A view from inside the business
I’m Serge Kaouane. I’ve worked in self-storage for more than 25 years, starting at facility level and subsequently across operations, development, investment and new-market entry in Europe and the Middle East.
That experience inevitably shapes what I write here, but Self-storage Notes is not intended as a showcase of my work. It is simply a place to share some of what I’ve learned, what I’m seeing now, and occasionally what I’m still trying to figure out.
What I write about
- Market trends — how self-storage markets develop, where demand comes from, and how the sector is changing
- Investment & valuation — what drives value, how deals are structured, and how investors look at the business
- Legal & regulation — planning, licensing and the regulatory questions that come with developing and operating facilities
- Operations & strategy — pricing, revenue management, facility design and the practical decisions behind running a storage business
- Marketing & technology — how customers find and use self-storage, and how technology is changing that relationship
- Global perspectives — observations from different markets and what they might tell us about where the industry is going
The focus is mainly Europe and the Middle East, but good ideas rarely respect geographic boundaries. When something happening elsewhere seems relevant, it belongs here too.
Have a question, a correction, or something worth writing about? Get in touch.
Self-storage Notes, by email
New notes on markets, investment, operations, technology and whatever else seems worth discussing. Roughly twice a month, in English and Spanish. No news feed, no promotion.