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Help with storage

3K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  kingschaff 
#1 ·
There is a question i want to throw out there to anyone who runs a home haunt, and or is is thinking of starting a professional haunt.. I obviously, like most haunters would love to start my own haunt.. The question i have is storage..i currently run a small home haunt. Now, i am completely out of space in my garage.... Obviously, you would want to build, purchase, build, purchase until to have enough to start up a business... any ideas on how to get cheap rental space???? once your haunt is established, forking over money for a rental and whatnot is not a problem, but what about those of us who want ot build wall panels as we go, and have a modest home and garage. (that is filled to the brim)!!

looking for any sort of feedback, please do not be shy...

Options... rental storage unit.. sort of high priced
Farmers with land... just don't really know any or really how to ask
Buying land and building a shed... expensive up front but seems like it could be good if you want to do this long term

anything else????
 
#2 ·
im actually in the construction of doing something like this. you have to ask your self if you can see yourself doing this for the next 10 pluf years.. then why not upfront a few hundred bucks to get a makeshift storage shed that you know will fit your wall panels ( i would make sure see how many you can fit) that seems to be the biggest bust!
i make my haunt out of pallets each year so i discard them when im done but i would go with a shed!
 
#3 ·
Well eventually you will run out of room with a home haunt storage wise. This is where new props and ideas come into play to keep it fresh.

A pro haunt is a little different in terms of storage. Some take a yearly lease on a building and leave everything ready to go for next year. If the lease gets "upped" in terms of money then they will jump on another mid lease and move the items to that one to set up for the next year in the new building. Others place items in storage lockers or containers.

If you have resources you can store your stuff in friends or family members homes. Make sure you have them on board to help with the setup. I would be in a panic without the 9 people that help me out on the big day. I have yet to store anything with them. I can stuff all my stuff in a 10 x 8 room, but next year will be tricky.

All in all the costs will add up if you rent a storage locker. They sell some nice sheds that can hold a bunch of stuff. I have a 10x9 plastic "snap together" plastic shed and it is works great for my pool equipment. They come even bigger if you wish. If you do not have the land area or apt rent then this of course is out of the question.
 
#4 ·
When I moved into my house - there was already a shed built on the back of the garage. It's about 6 feet deep, the entire width of the 2 car garage, a nice solid floor (with outdoor carpet!), bi-fold doors the length of it and a shingled, angled roof.

Is something like the feasible? I don't know the cost, but I bet something like this could be built in a weekend.

In ours, half of it is open with shelves built along the back wall (on the garage itself) and the other half has a shelf the full depth. It's great for items like the window unit air conditioners on the top and my toe-pincher coffin and some blowmolds underneath. And the open side has plenty of room for the patio furniture and my plywood headstones. You could fit a lot of stuff in there !
 
#5 ·
Many storage businesses have popped up around here during the last 15 yrs. The trouble with them is almost everyone I know of was built in a flood plain or a low area and they only usually have gravel floors!?
Dampness a problem? No, not if your wood and cloth items just get pitched every other year.
Maybe you could build yourself a shed like a pole barn cement around the 4 by 4's then a frame and then side it with the haunt panels!
Without the panels in place it would be a shelter house for a picnic table.
Be sure and check out if you will need a building permit from your town or county.. they need Your Money!
 
#6 ·
Thanks guys.. all very great ideas.. I think maybe a shed will be in store for the spring.. The reason I ask is because, my garage is filled with, tombstones, huge pillars, two full size coffins, Skeletons, etc.. my wife is about to kill me i think if it gets any more congested.. She is on board for moving forward for our little haunt to move into a larger haunt or attraction.. Sometimes on Craigslist, or Ebay, i will see a huge lot of halloween props, accessories, etc.. wall panels, and I have the means to purchase them, but simply do not have storage.. Right now, someone is selling wall panels, painted black, 13+ rooms of solid plywood that i would love to pick up, but simply have no where to put it.. I have some thinking and planning to do this year.. let me know if you have any other ideas.. I am originally from North Dakota, now i live in The Carolinas, back home.. i could go to any farmer and just use a quanset or a barn with no problem.. not likely here...lol...

thanks. Rob S MINESCHAFFT
 
#8 ·
Shipping containers are big, secure, water proof and cheap (considering). Its actually cheaper for them to make them in China and send them filled than it is to send the empties back. Since the US doesn't send much to China they are piling up on your shores like giant steel litter...lol

I know even up here a 44 footer runs under $5000 and a 22 foot in the $2000s. You can get 12, 10 etc... Check around. They are great! 9 foot high, 8 feet wide and long. No on is breaking in to it either...

Jeff
 
#9 ·
Like jandjbarry, I was also going to suggest a shipping container. I know a few people who have used them for one thing or another, and I know you can get huge ones for cheap (logistically, I have no idea how hard it was to purchase them). If you have room for a container or a storage shed on your property, I think it's worth the money up-front if you plan on haunting for many years. Convenient too, to have all of your props stored in one place that's easily accessible. In terms of renting, try looking for an industrial storage lot (not the "U-Store" type places that the average person uses for their boat or extra Christmas decorations. Not too far from our house is an industrial lot where each indoor/outdoor combo storage unit is about 1/8 of an acre. The land is surrounded in a by a security fence, and there's a large shed/workspace on each one. My husband and I are encouraging his family to all go in together on one so that we can store all the toys in one place and have a common workspace for projects (I would give anything to have a permeant Halloween workshop that doesn't take over my garage). Good luck no matter what you decide!
 
#10 ·
When I build a new prop, I build it to come apart, fold down and store with less space. I have some pretty big props, Hearse, spider etc, building this way takes more time and creativity but totally pays off when it comes to space. I also have a few large props that I have left out and incorporated into my decor. You just run out of space. Good luck!
 
#11 ·
I'm nearing the same point already, even though I'm only at year 2 in rebuilding. On tab for this year is my cemetery gates & columns build, and due to the storage situation I've come to a conclusion. I'm making them to be a semi-permanent fixture in front of the house (semi-permanent meaning that if I do buy a new home, I can take them with me).

Reasons being; one less large scale thing to have to assemble/disassemble, & store. Second, I plan on mine being a storage/hide spot for all of the electronics & main sound system because I like making everything as modular as possible. So I'll be hard coating mine, not to mention weather proofing them. They will look respectable during the rest of the year so as to keep the H.O.A. off of my butt (They will get aged progressively to "blend" so that they, the H.O.A. being "they", don't notice). :D

Uh oh. I hope none of them lurk these boards, especially now that I've detailed my evil plan! ;)
 
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