Storage World Analyzer · by Mark Helm, CCIM
Run the numbers on a storage deal before you make the offer.
The cloud-based analysis software Mark built for his own self-storage deals. Enter a facility's numbers once and get 10-year cash flow projections, cash-on-cash returns, IRR and unit-mix pricing, in reports you can hand straight to a lender or investor.
- One payment, no subscription
- Unlimited reports
- 30-day money-back guarantee
The problem
Self storage breaks ordinary real-estate math.
An apartment has a few unit types and predictable rent. A storage facility has dozens of unit sizes, climate and non-climate pricing, lease-up curves, street rates that move every month and expansion land sitting next door. Generic spreadsheets and commercial calculators miss most of it.
You overpay without knowing it
A seller's "pro forma" looks great until you rebuild it with real expenses and a realistic occupancy curve. By then you may already be under contract.
Spreadsheets eat your week
Building a storage model from scratch takes days, and one broken formula can quietly change the answer. Then you start over for the next deal.
Lenders want proof
Banks and investors expect clean projections. Showing up with a napkin estimate costs you credibility and, often, the deal.
Why Mark built it
"I looked for a long time for a tool that did this. I found nothing."
Years ago I was trying to get back into self storage after my first attempt. I was scared. It felt like I had one more chance and I had to get it right, and that froze me. I was so careful I couldn't take a step.
What I needed wasn't more motivation. I needed a way to look at a facility and run the numbers in real detail before I committed to anything.
Over the years I've come to believe you need three things to succeed in self storage:
- A plan. How you'll find the right facilities to start or grow your business, and what you'll do with them once you own them.
- A way to analyze self storage in detail. Storage is a unique real estate asset, and very few programs are built for it.
- Action. “Action is the real measure of intelligence.” – Napoleon Hill
Most people I meet aren't missing the plan or the will to act. They're missing number two.
As a commercial real estate agent I had worked with the REITs and seen how they analyze storage in depth. Nothing available to a small investor came close, so I built my own program around the way they do it. I've used it and refined it on my own deals ever since.
It's my secret weapon. It's what lets a smaller buyer like me compete with the big money.
Mark Helm, CCIMSelf-storage investor since 2000 · author of Creating Wealth Through Self Storage
What's inside
Everything you need to analyze a storage deal.
The Analyzer walks you through the inputs step by step: price and investment costs, unit mix and rents, income, expenses, occupancy, cap rate and debt. Then it does the heavy lifting.
10-year cash flow projections
See income, expenses and cash flow for every year of the next decade, not just year one.
Cash-on-cash return
Estimate the yearly return on the cash you invest, based on the assumptions you enter, and compare deals side by side.
IRR forecasting
Internal rate of return across the hold, the figure serious investors and partners will ask you for.
Unit mix & pricing optimization
Test different mixes of unit sizes and rates and see how each one changes the projected income.
Lender- and investor-ready reports
Detailed, printable reports and charts, branded with your own company logo. No more fighting spreadsheets and graphics.
Cloud-based, nothing to install
Log in from any computer with a web browser. Your analyses are there whenever you need them.
Video tutorials built in
Short walkthroughs inside the program, so you can start analyzing the same day.
Unlimited analyses, forever
No per-report fees and no monthly limits. Run every deal you find, as many times as you like.
Any kind of project
One tool for every way into storage.
Mark has found that expansions and value-add deals are often the best way in for a smaller investor. The Analyzer handles those and more.
Existing facilities
Rebuild the seller's numbers with your own assumptions and model the deal at different prices.
New construction
Raw land to stabilized: model the build cost, lease-up and long-term value.
Expansions
See what adding buildings to a facility you own or are buying does to cash flow and value.
Conversions
Repurposing a warehouse, big box or other building? Run it before you sign.
How it works
From a listing to a full set of projections.
Enter the facility
Follow the step-by-step screens: purchase price and costs, unit mix and rents, expenses, occupancy, financing and cap rate. Just minutes of data entry.
Test your assumptions
Change rents, occupancy, the unit mix or the loan and watch the projections update, so you can see which assumptions matter most.
Print and present
Generate clean reports with your logo for your lender, your partners, your advisors or your own files.
Sample reports
See the kind of reports you'll run.
These are a few of the report pages the Analyzer produces. Click any one to see it full size.
The math
Small assumptions make big differences.
Storage facilities are commonly valued by dividing net operating income by a cap rate, so a small change in either assumption can move an estimated value a lot.
The Analyzer lets you change one assumption at a time and see how the projections respond, so you can stress-test a deal on paper before you rely on any one set of numbers.
It's a calculator, not a crystal ball: the results are only as good as the assumptions you put in, which is why it pays to review them with your lender, accountant or other advisors.
Illustration: one facility, two cap rate assumptions
| Net operating income | $150,000 |
| Value at a 7.0% cap rate | $2,142,857 |
| Value at a 7.5% cap rate | $2,000,000 |
| Difference in estimated value | $142,857 |
Compare your options
Why not just use a spreadsheet?
| Build your own spreadsheet | Pay someone per deal | Storage World Analyzer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for self storage | Only if you build it | Depends who you hire | Yes, from day one |
| Time per deal | Days to build, then upkeep | Wait for their schedule | Minutes of data entry |
| Cost | Your time, every deal | A fee every time | $699 once, unlimited deals |
| 10-year projections, IRR, cash-on-cash | If your formulas are right | Usually | Built in |
| Reports for lenders | Format them yourself | Usually | Printable, with your logo |
Who it's for
Built for the smaller investor.
Mark made the Analyzer to level the field between the big buyers and everyone else.
New to self storage
You're looking for your first facility and want to know a good deal from a bad one.
- Check a listing in an afternoon
- See which assumptions drive the numbers
- Run the numbers before you make an offer
Growing a portfolio
You own one or more facilities and want to buy, build or expand the next one.
- Model an expansion on your own site
- Compare several deals side by side
- Spend less time in spreadsheets
Raising capital
You're bringing in partners or a lender and need clear, organized projections to share.
- Professional, printable reports
- Your logo on every page
- Clear 10-year story for investors
Get the Analyzer
Lifetime access. One payment.
No monthly fees, no report limits and no expiry. Pay once and use it on every deal for as long as you invest.
Storage World Analyzer
Cloud-based self-storage financial analysis software
- Unlimited analyses and reports, forever
- Existing facilities, new construction, expansions and conversions
- 10-year cash flow, cash-on-cash and IRR
- Unit mix and pricing optimization tools
- Printable reports branded with your logo
- Step-by-step inputs and built-in video tutorials
- Works in any web browser, nothing to install
30-day money-back guarantee. If the Analyzer isn't right for you, ask for a refund within 30 days. No questions asked.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is it software I download?
No. The Storage World Analyzer is web-based. You log in at StorageWorldAnalyzer.com from any computer with a modern browser, Mac or PC. There's nothing to install or update.
How long do I have access?
For life. The $699 is a one-time payment for a lifetime membership, with no recurring fees and no limit on how many reports you run.
What kinds of projects can I analyze?
Existing facilities, raw land with new construction, expansions of existing facilities, and conversions of other buildings into self storage.
What numbers do I need to get started?
The basics of the deal: price and other investment costs, the unit mix and rents, income, expenses, occupancy, the cap rate and your financing. The Analyzer walks you through each input, and the built-in videos show you how.
I'm brand new. Is this too advanced for me?
No. Mark built it for smaller investors, and the step-by-step inputs and video tutorials are designed so you can start the same day. If you want the bigger picture first, his free 3-part video series is a great place to start.
Can I show the reports to my bank or investors?
Yes. That's what they're for. Reports are detailed, printable and can carry your own company logo.
Is this investment advice?
No. The Analyzer is a calculation tool that turns the assumptions you enter into projections and reports. It doesn't tell you what to buy or what to pay, and its results aren't guarantees. Before making any investment decision, talk with qualified professionals such as your lender, accountant, attorney or a licensed advisor.
What if it isn't right for me?
You're covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Ask within 30 days of purchase and you'll get a full refund, no questions asked.
How do I get started after I buy?
Checkout is handled securely by Shopify through Mark's QuickStart Academy store. After you buy, you'll receive your access details for StorageWorldAnalyzer.com. If you have any trouble, contact us and we'll get you set up.
Stop guessing. Start analyzing.
Your next storage deal is out there. Run the numbers before you make the offer.
Get the Storage World Analyzer — $699The Storage World Analyzer is a software tool for running your own projections. It does not provide investment, financial, tax or legal advice, and Mark Helm is not a licensed investment advisor or broker. Results are estimates based on the assumptions you enter, not guarantees of future performance, and use of the Analyzer does not guarantee investment success. Consult qualified professionals before making investment decisions. See our disclaimer and the store's refund policy.