Marcus and Katy Mollmann faced a major dilemma late last year.
Katy was pregnant with twins. And with two other children already in the household, the family needed to clear space to create a playroom and an extra bedroom.
Neither parent could carry the items to a self-storage unit. And Marcus Mollmann said he was past the stage in life where he could ask friends to help him move.
“Most people don’t like having to move,” Mollmann said. “Nobody likes being asked to help move.”
In the at-home chaos, Mollmann hit on the idea for Closetbox Storage Centers, a storage facility that offers “white-glove concierge” service, helping homeowners and businesses thin out and stow their stuff.
Closetbox opened in May, sending trucks to homes and offices in metro Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins to pick up items that need to be stored — from furniture and Christmas decorations to appliances and office machines.
The items are stashed in a climate-controlled facility and can be returned to the client within a day. Customers never have to go to the Closetbox storage facility — although they can, with an appointment.
“There has never been an option like us,” Mollmann said. “Our purpose is to make the customer feel comfortable when we show up at the house to pick up items. It can be scary for some customers to go to a self-storage unit.”
Arranging the storage is easy.
Customers can go online, reserve storage space either by the amount of space they need or by the item. Then they print off bar codes and stick them on their items. Closetbox shows up as soon as the next day.
“We have two trucks. The nice thing is that we’re able to be really efficient with our drivers so that we can have the same drivers or same team pick you up,” Mollmann said. “We make sure it is somebody our customers feel comfortable with. We know we are arriving at your home and we are handling your valuables. It is special to you, and we understand that.”
Mollmann said Closetbox’s revenue has doubled every month since the company’s debut. He plans to expand service to
Dallas, New Orleans and Santa Fe this fall.
“We’ve served businesses downsizing to more of a virtual office, and they are now warehousing everything from a printer to some extra chairs,” Mollman said.
“We’ve come down to certain apartment buildings that may be a little bit smaller than renters expected. We’ve been able to store as little as a couch where their couch wouldn’t fit into their apartment.”
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939, hpankratz@denverpost.com or twitter.com/howardpankratz
It’s not the stuff — it’s the size
Denver-based companies like Greenbox Self Storage and Closetbox Storage Centers are taking advantage of burgeoning business and residential growth in Denver’s LoDo, RiNo, Union Station, Ballpark, Highland and Prospect neighborhoods where new buildings are carved into increasingly smaller spaces.
The proof is in the floor plans.
According to data from commercial real estate adviser HFF’s Denver office, the average apartment unit built since 2013 within 2 miles of Denver Union Station has shrunk to 773 square feet, from 807 square feet the year before.
Even different phases within the same development have scaled back. For example, units in the first phase of the Pauls Corp.’s 21 Fitzsimons built in 2008 averaged 1,023 square feet, compared with apartments in the third phase delivered last month that average 736 square feet. The complex on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora includes studio and one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
At The Logan in Capitol Hill, the 57 studio, one- and two-bedroom units being developed by Forum Real Estate Group average 613 square feet, only 37 square feet larger than a standard two-car garage.
