New Aussie Startup, SpaceOut, offers a service that allows people with spare or unused space in their home or business to make it available to people who need to rent space for storage.

The plan is simple. Let “SpaceOwners” make money from their unused space and help “SpaceSeekers” save money on storage costs.

The team is made up of Business Development Manager, Damon Russell; Branding Consultant and ex-AFL player Nathon Irvin; and Web Developer, Andy Henderson.

The initial concept was the result of a need Russell had:

The idea just popped into my head” said Russell. “I was visiting a mate before I went overseas, and noticed his garage was half empty. I asked if I could store my stuff with him while I was away and he said Sure! My next thought was – Hey, wouldn’t it be great if everybody could do this… and SpaceOut was born.

The team have expanded into Office and Parking Spaces and have a few other related services in the pipeline. It might be a little early for them to start diversifying, but at least there’s a common thread there of hiring space to those who need it. When you think of it that way it’s obvious that the market will continue to grow as space becomes more and more limited in big cities.

At the moment the service is completely free, but Russell says it’s likely they’ll start charging a nominal fee for listings in the near future.

Future plans also include heading to the US and Europe, where they’ve already received emails from people asking if they have a service there.

One big thing that could hold SpaceOut back is people’s willingness to store their stuff in someone else’s house. The idea of safety and insurance is covered on their FAQ page, but still it’s not quite the same level of security you get when using a traditional storage facility.

Outside of that, it’s an interesting idea and yet another great example of the Internet enabling new markets for all sorts of goods and services.