HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Driving up and down the Grand Strand means spotting a lot of storage units. They are popping up everywhere, and for good reason. 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, and people started working from home, it was the perfect opportunity to pack up and move.  

“We had the biggest migration we’ve had in a long time over the last five years,” Sam Fresquez, a former storage operator and consultant. 

When these movers make it to the Grand Strand, they always have so much stuff, and they will always need a place to put it. 

“We’ve definitely seen a more rapid growth over the last five years just because of demand and concentration of people moving to the area,” Fresquez said. 

Myrtle Beach is a popular destination. Recent U.S. Census data shows that the city grew 3.4% between 2020 and 2021. The area has to accommodate, and the storage industry has to move quickly to keep up with demands. 

“You’ve gotta grow,” Fresquez said. “It’s the business of space, and you’re dealing with a finite amount of space when it comes to a facility, so more concentration, more space needed, that’s additional buildings you see growing up everywhere around town.”

Fresquez said some areas on the Grand Strand, like Carolina Forest and The Market Common, are more popular moving destinations, but with new storage units popping up all over, movers should not have a hard time finding a spot. 

“Right now, I think we’ve got a pretty saturated market with the storage facilities,” Fresquez said. “It’s gonna be a very competitive price point if you have them centralized in one place, so price and availability are gonna be the two driving factors there.”

Prices can be all over the place, so his biggest piece of advice for people looking to find a storage spot: shop around. 

“You gotta first analyze your needs,” Fresquez said. “How long are you gonna be storing before you move to any new location? Do you need just static storage? Do you have an overabundance of items like most people do? So make that decision, and then go price shop.”