Safe Self Storage is Priority One

Storage Basics


At Alamo Mini-Storage, we treat you with Texas hospitality—as if you were our own family! That’s why we’ll always shoot straight with you, and be open and honest in all of our communication. That includes communication about safe self storage while your belongings are stored at Alamo Mini-Storage. While we’ve implemented a number of safety features, we can never underestimate the ingenuity of thieves and criminals. No storage facility is 100% secure from environmental damage, theft, or natural disasters. So, we don’t make that claim. Instead, we set up our facilities to be as safe as possible for your convenience and peace of mind. Safe Self Storage for You At each of our seven locations around south Texas, we go to great lengths to insure the safety and convenience of our customers. This includes: Lighting – Each property is well lit in all hallways, aisles, driveways, and common areas. Gates – All properties have secure gates that are always working. Gate operating hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Surveillance equipment – Surveillance cameras are located throughout each property allowing views of doorways, hallways, aisles, driveways, gates, and dumpsters. Resident Managers – Our managers live on-site, adding an additional layer of security and surveillance. Each manager has been trained in safety procedures and reporting. Locks – Each office stocks locks available for purchase. Locks are not included with each unit, allowing customers to obtain the lock that best suits their needs and budget. Cleanliness – You might not think that cleanliness has anything to do with safe self storage, but it does. Making sure that empty boxes aren’t left in aisles, picking up trash around doorways, and keeping the dumpster area clear of debris goes a long way in helping all of us see better, and recognize any suspicious activity. It is a rare situation that a naturally occurring event like a storm, or a moral failure like theft, has affected our customers. We believe this is in part due to the fact that many of our customers visit their units ...


—
September 14th, 2021

Self Storage Unit: What do you need?

Storage Basics


What season of life is prompting you to search for a self storage unit? Whether you’re downsizing, storing business inventory, remodeling your home, or moving, you need to think intentionally about your plans and needs for the duration of the time your property will be in storage. We want you to have the best possible storage rental experience. That’s why we’ve answered a few questions below that will help you determine what you need and why. What Size Storage Unit do I Need? We all have that room (or two!) in our houses that’s overflowing with unused clothing, appliances, furniture, tools, and/or memorabilia. Items are scattered, falling over, heaped in a corner and stacked over and under everything. You might be tempted to think that in order to store everything in that room, you need a self storage unit that’s roughly the same size as that room. In fact, you might only need a storage unit half the size of that room, or even smaller. See, when items aren’t stored neatly, they take up more room than necessary. That’s why it’s important to learn a few tips for maximizing your storage space. Break down large items such as bed frames and tables to save space. Keep all parts (such as screws and small hardware) together by placing them in a plastic bag and taping them to the item. To save space, fill interiors of appliances with lightweight items such as linens, clothes and stuffed toys. Boxes can be stacked on top of refrigerators, freezers, stoves, washers and dryers. Stand mattresses and sofas on end (except for sofa beds). Store lightweight, miscellaneous items in dresser drawers. Use blankets, sweaters and towels as padding for fragile items. Heavy items like books or tools should be packed in small boxes so they are easy to lift. Place frequently used goods near the door. Leave a center aisle for easy access to all items. Once you’ve implemented the tips above, you’re ready to use our sizing calculator to make sure you’re not renting a larger ...


—
August 16th, 2021

Local Self Storage Company With Deep Texas Roots

Company Updates


Trust is a big deal. Especially when it comes to entrusting someone with our prized collections, our priceless memorabilia, or the inventory of the dream company we’ve birthed. That’s why, if you’re going to store your belongings with anyone, you should entrust them to a local self storage company that puts customers first: Alamo Mini-Storage. Alamo Mini-Storage: How it Started Alamo Mini-Storage has operated in Texas for more than 40 years, and has been lovingly cared for by three generations of family members. It all started in the 70s when Vernon Helmke, an architect, and two friends—Bubba, a general contractor and Gerry, a priest—were talking about an uncommon business cropping up in the valley: garage rental. People who were moving, downsizing or renovating their homes were in need of storage and were renting garage-type units to house their belongings. Soon, the three friends entered into a partnership called U-Stow and Go in San Antonio. As some of the early pioneers in the storage business in south Texas, they helped create the demand for storage facilities. With each of their talents, the architect, general contractor and priest designed, built and operated their storage business. As an architect, Vernon constantly had plans and designs for improvement running through his brain. In 1978, he decided to act on the ideas that were pestering him, and he opened the first Alamo Mini-Storage on Bandera Road in San Antonio in 1978. Vernon’s daughter, Karen, was the manager of the first location—not only was this role entirely new to her, she was managing from a wheelchair! Karen had fallen and banged up her knee pretty badly. She had 45 stitches, and was required to tool around the storage facility in a manual wheelchair—up and down hills, in and out of doors, and all in the Texas heat. In the beginning, it was slow going—two or three phone calls a day, one or two drop-ins. Then things began to pick up and eventually, a second location was opened on Eisenhauer Road in San ...


—
August 6th, 2021