The deal

Storagebase acquired by Storage King

We’re pleased to have supported Frome-headquartered storage operator Storagebase in its sale to trade buyer Storage King.

In a deal led by our Corporate Finance team, leading UK self-storage operator Storage King – which is owned by South Africa’s largest self-storage company, Stor-Age Property REIT Limited, with over 80 properties across South Africa and the UK – has acquired Storagebase and all four of its high-quality sites in the south of England, including a new 102,000 sq. ft facility under construction in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Our Corporate Finance team in Bristol, including Partner Mark Naughton, Director Alex Sargeant and Associate Director Freddie James, had been tasked with securing for the previous owners, who founded the business in 2002. Over the past 20 years, Storagebase has grown from a single site operation into a £4 million turnover business, operating more than 3,500 storage units at sites in Banbury, Wednesbury and Frome. Having increased turnover by more than 30 per cent since 2019, Storagebase is expected to deliver further growth as it brings its new Amesbury site online this summer.

The acquisition adds a modern, large-scale and free-hold portfolio to the Storage King brand, one which is operating at near maximum occupancy.

Robin Greenwood, CEO at Storage King said: “We are pleased to have purchased this excellent portfolio and I would personally like to thank both FRP and Storagebase for working with us through this process. This acquisition forms part of our growth strategy to increase the footprint of our portfolio across the UK, and we are excited to welcome the existing staff into our Group.”

A spokesperson for Storagebase: “I’m extremely proud of the business we have developed over the past two decades, with our market-leading occupancy levels testament to the outstanding facilities we’ve created for our diverse base of commercial and domestic customers. This was reflected in the number of high-quality potential acquirers FRP brought to the table to not only recognise the value of our store portfolio but also the model that we have created. Critically, Storage King shares the all-important cultural fit that will benefit our customers and team in the future as they take the business forward together.”

Mark Naughton, Partner at FRP Corporate Finance, added: “The UK self-storage market continues to represent an attractive proposition for investors, with the industry still relatively immature in comparison to other parts of the world, particularly the US. With its focus on building new, investment-grade stores, Storagebase has demonstrated how an operator can quickly become the clear brand of choice for customers. With people needing more space at home due to the shift to agile working, and the steady flow of major life events making self-storage a recession-proof market, we expect to see more consolidation in the space in the coming months and years.”