SmartHelping / Self-Storage / Excel
Self-Storage Investment Analysis
Plan a single self-storage investment or scale through up to six deals. Model construction or acquisitions, occupancy growth, financing, exits, and the cash available for future deals from both the sponsor and investor perspectives.
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See the model in action
Walk through the self-storage investment model.
Configure each facility
Build the investment from the deal assumptions.
Launch and construction timing
Choose the construction or acquisition start month and construction duration where applicable. The revenue start month populates from the timing assumptions.
Facility size and rentable area
Define total square feet and the rentable percentage. Rentable square feet calculate from those inputs.
Land and construction costs
Enter land cost per rentable square foot and up to 10 construction cost items per deal. Total land cost calculates from the facility assumptions.
Existing facility acquisition
Enter the existing facility’s square feet, current net operating income, and cap rate. Acquisition cost and cost per square foot populate.
Reserve and initial investment
Define the reserve and review the total initial investment produced by the startup assumptions.
One deal or a sequence of six
Configure individual facility assumptions for up to six deals, or use the template for a single investment.
Revenue and operating expenses
Model the path from opening to stabilization.
Unit count and occupancy
Set rentable unit count, starting occupancy, monthly occupancy improvement, and stabilized occupancy.
Revenue per unit
Define average monthly revenue per unit and annual revenue growth.
Operating expenses
Set annual operating cost per square foot and the annual expense growth percentage.
Sales and marketing
Define sales and marketing spend as a percentage of gross revenue.
Exits and capital for future investments
See how one facility leads into the next.
Holding period and exit
Set months held and the exit cap rate. The model calculates exit month, exit value, and sale price per square foot.
Selling costs and proceeds
Define seller and other fees as a percentage, then review the resulting net exit proceeds.
Sequential or overlapping deals
Choose the months until the next facility launches. A negative month count allows facilities to operate in parallel, so you can evaluate overlapping cash requirements and the use of proceeds for future deals.
Debt, stabilization, and joint venture structure
Review funding needs from both sides of the deal.
Common financing percentage
Define the percentage of total deal costs financed with a regular loan. One financing percentage applies across all deals.
Cash flow during stabilization
Debt service is reflected during periods of negative cash flow. Operating expenses can be configured to start before revenue where needed.
GP and LP equity contributions
Set sponsor and investor equity contribution assumptions in the cash flow waterfall.
IRR-hurdle distributions
Define distribution percentages at each IRR hurdle, then review the resulting sponsor and investor cash flows.
Consolidated results and investment returns
Review the full sequence of investments.
Monthly and annual summaries
Bring the deal and waterfall results into aggregate monthly and annual timelines, with separate sponsor and investor perspectives.
Sponsor and investor returns
Review IRR and discounted cash flow analysis for both the GP and LP, together with their cash requirements.
Debt coverage and sensitivity
Review DSCR on each cash flow summary and project-level IRR sensitivity to six financing-percentage levels and exit cap rates.
Cash requirement and proceeds chart
Use the cumulative visualization to follow initial cash requirements and the use of proceeds across successive deals.
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View model detailsQuestions before you start
A few useful details.
Can I use the model for only one facility?
Yes. The template supports a single deal or up to six self-storage deals.
Can facilities overlap in time?
Yes. Enter a negative number of months until the next facility launches to model facilities operating in parallel.
Is the financing percentage different for each deal?
The financing percentage is a common assumption that applies across all deals. Facility-specific startup, operating, revenue, and exit assumptions are configured separately.
Does the model show sponsor and investor results separately?
Yes. It includes separate GP and LP cash flow perspectives, equity contributions, IRR-hurdle distributions, IRR, and DCF analysis.
Can expenses start before rental revenue?
Yes. The updated cash flow logic supports expenses before revenue and reflects debt service during negative cash flow periods.
Plan the next self-storage investment
Connect each deal to the next.
Self-Storage Investment Excel Model — $45, one-time purchase.
