Trading spaces earns big bucks
LISA Hodgkins pulls more than $5000 each year out of a hole in the wall.
At least that is how it feels since she began leasing out the storage space that came with her Sydney apartment.
The mother-of-two never used the space and never imagined someone would pay for it, until hearing the share economy had extended to storage.
“I heard about it and thought it was a great opportunity,” Ms Hodgkins said.
Ms Hodgkins listed on Spacer- an online company that matches the storage spaces of private residents with rentersand found her space in high demand.
“We are close to the city so space is limited,” she said.
Combining her storage room with her parking spot, Ms Hodgkins earns around $450 a month, or $5400 a year.
Spacer founder Mike Rosenbaum said people were looking for storage close by and cheaper than storage warehouses.
“We’ve actually got more demand than supply,” Mr Rosenbaum said. “Anywhere within 10km of the CBD is popular.”
Storage spaces on Spacer fetch around $150 a month on average, while a lockup garage rents for $250. Car spaces are most popular and range between $200 and $400 a month. Spacer charges 15 per cent on top of the price set by the owner.
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