Storage facility owners and operators face significant financial risks when undertaking repainting and rebranding projects without adequate planning and specialized expertise, according to industry professional Mike Purvis. As the United States self-storage sector expands beyond 50,000 facilities, with frequent ownership changes and refresh cycles driving renovation work, Purvis warns that treating these complex projects like generic commercial jobs leads to avoidable problems and substantial costs.
Purvis, whose company Storage Facility Painting Services, LLC works exclusively with storage facilities nationwide, identifies poor planning as the root cause of most project failures. "Most failures happen before a crew ever arrives," Purvis said. "If planning is weak, quality and timelines suffer every time." This issue becomes particularly critical when facilities must remain fully operational during renovations, requiring meticulous sequencing, logistics, and coordination that general contractors often underestimate.
The financial implications are substantial, with industry estimates indicating that rework and schedule overruns cost commercial property owners billions of dollars annually. Common problems include missed deliveries, unclear project scopes, and unrealistic timelines that create cascading delays. In painting and exterior maintenance specifically, inadequate preparation remains a leading cause of early failure, forcing owners to repeat work sooner than anticipated.
Purvis argues that the solution lies not in new technology or shortcuts, but in returning to fundamentals through specialization. "Specialisation removes guesswork," he explained. "When you understand the asset type, you plan better. When you plan better, everything downstream improves." His company addresses these risks through defined systems, standard workflows, and disciplined scheduling specifically designed for storage facilities, aiming to reduce disruption and increase consistency across multiple sites.
Contrary to common assumptions, Purvis emphasizes that speed and quality are not opposing objectives when proper planning precedes execution. "Speed comes from preparation," he clarified. "Rushing comes from poor planning. Those are two very different things." This distinction matters significantly for facility operators balancing renovation needs with ongoing customer access and operational requirements.
For industry stakeholders seeking to improve outcomes, Purvis recommends practical steps including asking detailed questions about planning and sequencing before work begins, choosing partners with direct storage facility experience, building adequate preparation time into project schedules, and systematically reviewing what caused previous delays to adjust processes accordingly. "Better outcomes are usually the result of simple changes," Purvis noted. "Anyone can raise the standard by slowing down and planning properly."
The growing importance of this issue reflects broader trends in the self-storage industry, where consolidation and competitive pressures make efficient rebranding increasingly vital for maintaining market position. As more facilities change ownership or refresh their appearance to attract customers, the discipline Purvis advocates could determine whether these investments yield returns or become financial drains. To read the full interview, visit https://www.mikepurvispainter.com.
