Hello Rick.
I live not far from Norris Lake, near Clinton TN. I migrated to this area in 1969 from the frigid north. Great area!
Can you rent (or buy) a semi-trailer for the storage?
The end of the story: I bought one 8x9x45' for storage and have been using it on my property since 2004. (The wheels had been removed so it's essentially a shipping container.) We have a farm with llamas and horses and such and when looking for a quick place to store hay I bought an 8x8x40' aluminum shipping container. I've used it to store hay for many years now. The end with the doors is visible behind the hay trailer.
hay_IMG_20170918_182419_563.jpg
The bump in the story: While there are no zoning or permit requirements for ag-related things in this county I did run into a bit of trouble with the storage container. I had cleared and leveled a spot where it would fit but after I moved it there I discovered there was a setback requirement of 30' from the road. Unfortunately, the spot I prepared didn't have enough room for that so I did some earth moving and prepared another spot, the one visible in the photo above. It's 30' from the road but still easy access for the big trailer.
The reason the shipping container was not allowed on the first spot was because it wasn't on wheels so the county considered it a permanent structure, subject to the setback. The county codes guy said it would be OK to park a semi trailer in that spot indefinitely as long as it was on wheels and it had a valid tag and insurance. If it would work out, you could park a trailer there while your house/shop is being built. I couldn't be responsible for the contents however this is a dead-end lane and the spot is within view of at least 3 houses. As the spot is next to the road it has easy access for dropoff and pickup. It's in the little triangle at the top of this older sat photo:
_map_of_farm_3.jpg
I do nothing with that 1/10 acre other than dump logs or gravel there on occasion so a trailer wouldn't be in the way. If interested, I can double check with the county to make sure the rules haven't changed. Also, if you want I could check around for long-term semi trailer storage in one of the zillions of industrial companies in the area and see what kind of storage fees they have. Storage there would most likely be secured by a fence/gate. The company where I bought my excavator may even be willing - they certainly have the space.
I checked into purchasing a trailer at one point and it wasn't too expensive. Could be sold when done with it. Inexpensive to move!
BTW, unloading heavy things from a U-haul or semi trailer might not be a big problem even for temporary storage. There are a lot of people in the are, including me, who have tractors with forks. When I have heavy things delivered I usually get the shipping company to stop at a wide place on the main highway and drive the tractor down the hill. They LOVE that!
I assume you've visited the area concerning the property. If down again, let me know and perhaps you can come visit. (You might need to sign up as a "contributor" instead of as a "member" to use the messaging here, I don't know. But it's only $6 min a year, almost free! https://sawmillcreek.org/payments.php
There is also another gentleman who frequents here who has a house and new shop on Norris Lake.
JKJ