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If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?

Offline Travis

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If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« on: September 23, 2014, 02:14:16 AM »
Sometime storage units are packed so full, the door won't roll up. Some auctioneers sell these units as is. They're a total gamble, but sometimes they can really pay off. When a door won't open, do you bid on it? If so, how do you determine your max bid? Have you ever bought a unit unseen, and if so, how did it work out for you?

Offline alloro

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2014, 09:28:55 AM »
Main rule of mine is to only bid on what you can see. My price for units that won't open is at most $1.

Offline Travis

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2014, 03:11:23 PM »
That's my #1 rule as well, but I'll gamble a little on units like these. Might go $100 on a 5X10, $200 on a 10X10. $400-500 on a 10X20 or larger. After all, if there's so much stuff packed in a unit that the door won't open, surely you'll at least make your money back. 

Offline alloro

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2014, 04:09:55 PM »
if there's so much stuff packed in a unit that the door won't open,

The unit could be empty and the door is just broken, or the unit could be full of trash in which case you spend 2 days making dump runs after paying for that privilege.

Offline Travis

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2014, 04:34:23 PM »
The unit could be empty and the door is just broken, or the unit could be full of trash in which case you spend 2 days making dump runs after paying for that privilege.

True, but on the other hand, it could contain an entire household of items that would have sold for a lot more.

Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #5 on: September 23, 2014, 05:26:28 PM »
i've bought units like that for $200 or so. bidding only on what you can see is BS in my opinion. I bid on the local area, the facility, the contents and the clues.

Offline luke

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2014, 10:22:35 AM »
How can they sell a unit that won't open? Don't they have to take a photo of the contents for legal purposes.

Offline Travis

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Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2014, 12:27:21 PM »
How can they sell a unit that won't open? Don't they have to take a photo of the contents for legal purposes.

No, but some states do require a description of the contents to be placed in the legal notice. Some operators satisfy this requirement with a general statement like: 

The property stored therein may include, but are not limited to general household items, appliances, boxes, bags, totes, tools, bedding, clothing, electronics, toys, books, files, furniture and miscellaneous items.

Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2014, 10:47:47 AM »
Never been in that situation, but as I generally follow the rule "Bid on only what you see" pretty strictly (with a few exceptions that might make me bid another $50-150; after all, if it's all alright on the front or the area's good, I may gamble)...

Well, I probably wouldn't be as adventurous as some. In a very good area, for a large unit, I may go up to $250. Beyond that, I can't justify the potential loss. But I'm quite the cheapwad, really.

Re: If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2014, 06:11:28 PM »
I've seen it happen a few times. Bids went way above my comfort zone. Same thing happens around here when a unit full of neatly packed boxes comes up.


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