Here’s Your Packing Checklist for Your Summer Road Trip

Storage Basics


School is almost out and summer is right around the corner. Have you made summer vacation plans? If not, you may want to consider taking a road trip to visit one of Texas’ beautiful, fun state parks! There are so many positives about a road-trip getaway. You can choose whatever dates work best for you, and, since you’re not booking flights, you can always stay an extra day or leave early depending on how you and your travel companions are feeling! Obviously, you won’t have to spend money on renting a car. Also, if you’re trying to save a little money on gas, you don’t have to travel too far from home—just far enough away for you to feel like you’re actually getting away. In addition to providing you with some packing tips for your road trip, we decided to pick a few great destinations to visit within driving-distance from our Alamo Mini-Storage locations in San Antonio, Hutto and Victoria, Texas. That way, if you need to grab some of your things from your storage unit on the way out of town, like camping supplies or outdoor activity items, you won’t waste a minute! Guadalupe River State Park A true Hill Country gem, this river-centered state park is a great choice for anyone located near San Antonio or Hutto, Texas. Toss in a tube and float down the river, take a swim, camp, canoe fish, or hike—with scenic views and lots of history, endless summer fun is calling your name! Check out Texas Water and Wildlife’s website to see everything available at this gorgeous Texas destination and start planning your visit now! Padre Island National Seashore Just a couple hours from Victoria and a few from San Antonio, Padre Island National Seashore is a must-see stop on your road-trip adventure. Boasting 70 miles of magnificent, uninterrupted beaches, PINS is the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world. Plus, you can take your car with you! Visitors rave about the scenic drive on ...


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May 5th, 2022

Freshen Up Your Home or Office with These Spring Cleaning Tips

Storage Basics


Many people walk into January 1 with a sense of excitement and eagerness to start new ventures. There’s something about the beginning of a whole, new year that feels invigorating. However, by April 1, many people are starting to lose their enthusiasm. Routines are set, obligations are plentiful and time is often spent on things that may not feel…worth it. How can you combat the fading joy of the new year? By spring cleaning, of course! Not the suggestion you were expecting? Well, hear us out. Research suggests that a clean and tidy living space can actually create a greater sense of calm and promote concentration. So, we’ve compiled our favorite spring cleaning tips to help get you started on your way to becoming a happier, healthier, reenergized you. 1. Declutter Your Home Chances are, you may have done some decluttering at the beginning of the year at the same time you were putting away Christmas decorations. Now’s the time for another quick sweep. Getting rid of things you don’t need or use will make the cleaning process quicker and easier. Not sure what to do with some of your items? Check out our previous blog post on how renting a storage unit can help you declutter your life. 2. Gather the Right Cleaning Supplies One of the best (yet most simple) spring cleaning tips we can give you is to have the right cleaning supplies on hand. Like any task, having the right tools and supplies makes the whole process more enjoyable. So, out with the old and in with the new when it comes to expired cleaning products and old tools that need replacing (think toilet bowl brushes and sponges). You might want to think about investing in items that will maximize your time and incentivize you to keep your home clean moving forward. Things like a good vacuum and mop (or maybe even an all-in-one wet dry vacuum cleaner) can make labor-heavy jobs a lot easier and quite ...


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April 3rd, 2022

How to Organize Your Garage

Storage Basics


It’s true, some people seem to enjoy organizing more than others. If you’re one of those people, you’re going to love every minute of this process to organize your garage. If you feel like you’re not an organized person by nature, we have good news! You can become organized. The even better news? Once you invest the time it takes to create a place for every item within your space, it’s so much easier to stay organized. Do you need to organize your garage? If so, you’re not alone. The garage is where many of us unload our cars, keep our bikes, store holiday decor, and keep our tools. It’s an easy area to overlook because it’s not typically a focal point of the home. Plus, throwing things into the garage when we need to make space in our living area is often the quickest solution. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? Sure. Until your car doesn’t fit inside the garage anymore. If you’re ready to organize your garage but feel a little overwhelmed, the best way to get started is by following a plan. Below you will find our best tips on how to organize your garage. Step 1: Sort It Out Out of sight, out of mind can only last for so long until the clutter becomes the only thing that you do see. So, now that you are looking, it’s time to assess everything that has accumulated and start sorting your things into piles. Group similar things together; this will help you down the line. Things to Group Together: Seasonal Items Bulk Household Supplies Sports Equipment Auto Tools and Supplies Bikes and Scooters Tools and Woodworking Gardening and Yard Tools Step 2: Say Goodbye When you get to the point where you acknowledge that you have too much stuff, things need to go, and you’re ready to make a change, then this is the best time to start purging. During everyday life, we might be too busy to make decisions about where things should go (and we may ...


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March 8th, 2022

How to Use Storage Units for Business Inventory

Storage Basics


Is your business’s inventory overtaking your office space or even your own home, creating a chaotic work environment and reducing your productivity? When the amount of supplies, paperwork, equipment, or retail inventory begins to take over your work or personal space, you may find it difficult to do the tasks you need in order to successfully run your business. Using storage units for business can be an excellent solution for your organizational needs. Not only can the extra space bring order to your work processes, it will allow you to purchase supplies in bulk quantities by providing a place to store the excess. The ability to order larger amounts of goods reduces the overall cost spent per item and eliminates the risk of running out of supplies. Running out of supplies is a real threat in today’s economic climate, which might mean not being able to produce your goods for an extended period of time. Choosing to use storage units for business inventory is an investment in your company’s efficiency and productivity. Determine what should go into your storage units for business When clutter or supplies accumulate around you, it can be difficult to find the items you need—not to mention, it’s mentally overwhelming. Removing some of the stuff from your work space will help you stay sane and keep your business running smoothly. While it may seem obvious, the first step you need to take when moving into storage units for business inventory is to determine what items can and should go. Think about: What do I use every day? What do I use once in a while? What do I almost never use but must keep? Sorting through your things with these questions in mind is a good starting point to get the transition going toward having storage units for business inventory. As far as bulk inventory goes, you may find that it works well to keep a week’s worth of goods in your work space at a time, and leave the rest in the ...


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February 8th, 2022

Renting a Storage Unit Can Help You Declutter Your Life

Storage Basics


Can you feel the buzz in the air? People all over the world are setting goals, gaining momentum, and embarking on resolutions to make themselves healthier and happier this year. This time of year, many people set goals around decluttering and organizing their home. It’s a way of creating a fresh start in your environment, which could help you meet other goals for your physical and mental health. So, how does renting a storage unit help with decluttering? Let us tell you. Here are five reasons renting a storage unit will help you clear out the clutter. Records Storage Ask any lawyer or accountant, and they will tell you there are some papers that it’s absolutely critical that you keep—sometimes indefinitely. Medical bills, bank statements, and tax returns are just a few categories that are known to be needed when you least expect it—and often years from when they were first generated. Keeping your files at an off-site location could help in case there is a fire or emergency in your own home. Storage units come in all sizes, including small ones that could house a few filing cabinets, or file boxes. But just because you’re storing your essential files remotely doesn’t mean you should allow your storage unit to become messy. Develop a filing system, and commit to filing papers once a month in your storage unit. Saving Special Mementos We all have those special mementos we treasure and want to pass down to our children and grandchildren. However, they may no longer “fit” in your home for many reasons. Or perhaps you have boxes of family photos from your grandparents, parents and your own photos. These priceless memories can take up a lot of space. Renting a storage unit where you can preserve and protect your family history allows you to use the space in your home for living, not saving. Seasonal Decor If you love to decorate for a holiday, then renting a storage unit might be the perfect solution for decluttering your home. ...


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January 6th, 2022

How to Use Storage Units for Your Seasonal Decor

Storage Basics


Are you “all in” on decorating for the seasons? Many people are. Seasonal decorating is not just for Christmas, many families like to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving with fun and creative knick-knacks that set a certain mood or atmosphere in their homes. With all those decorations, many people choose to use storage units for housing seasonal decor when it isn’t being enjoyed. If you decorate for multiple holidays throughout the year, then it’s a good idea to rent a storage unit for all the boxes and accessories you need for each season. Storing your seasonal decorations in a storage unit helps free up space at home, where you need to keep stock of “immediate need” items. If you think it’s time you free up some space at home, and store your seasonal decor in a storage unit, then let’s take a look at a few tips to get you started. Storage Unit Location and Size First, you want to find a storage location that is convenient to where you live. And then find a storage unit within that facility that’s the right size for your storage needs. For example, if you decorate for two or three holidays a year, you might only need a 5x10 or a 5x15 sized unit. Use our storage size guide to find out exactly the size storage unit you need. Organize Seasonal Decor by Holiday Next, organize and label boxes according to the holiday, season or occasion to which they belong. Besides holidays and seasons, you might be interested in storing all birthday decor or school celebration decor to be pulled out and used when appropriate. Be sure to check out our storage unit organization ideas to learn how to label, stack and pack to get the best use of your storage space. Inventory Your Storage Boxes for Easy Access An inventory can be accomplished in a couple of ways: a list on the outside of the box, or a number on the box that corresponds to a ...


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November 29th, 2021

How to Maximize Your Storage Space

Storage Basics


Renting storage space at a convenient storage facility is a great solution for storing business product inventory, various holiday decorations, family heirlooms you just can’t part with, and keeping belongings safe while you renovate or move. Last month, we shared several organization tips for your storage unit. And while organizing and maximizing do go hand-in-hand, there are some ways to maximize space that aren’t necessarily “organized.” Let’s break it down. Consolidate Items in Your Storage Space If you’re moving, we advise that when storing chests of drawers, the drawers should be filled. You can fill the drawers with clothing, kitchen tools, or whatever else. But to stay organized, make a note of what’s in each chest of drawers. You can also fill any unused suitcases with seasonal clothing and place the suitcases near the entrance for easy access. Wrap Fragile Items with clothing Many everyday fragile items can be wrapped with clothing like scarves, socks, or T-shirts. Keep in mind that some fragile items also may be vintage, or have a finish that could be affected by the fabric of your clothing. For vintage items, use acid-free tissue paper to keep them safe. You can also use socks to stuff inside glasses, vases, or any fragile container. Disassemble Furniture in Your Storage Space You won’t always be able to disassemble furniture, but if you can, do so. Make sure to tie or wrap legs of tables to the tabletops, and to tape a plastic bag of the furniture’s hardware to the item for easy location and assembly. If you have a table that can’t be disassembled, be sure to store boxes underneath, on top, and between its legs. Use the Same Size Boxes Using the same size boxes will help you keep stacks uniform and sturdy. You don’t want boxes to cave and lean when stacked. And you’ll need to fill boxes to the brim so they aren’t crushed under the weight of the boxes stacked above them. When filling boxes, fill the bottom with heavy items, adding lighter items ...


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November 15th, 2021

How to Organize Your Storage Unit

Storage Basics


Maybe your need for a storage unit has been months in the planning. Or maybe, you’ve had an unexpected home repair that’s pushing you into a hotel for a few weeks and you need to store your belongings. Or maybe, you need convenient overflow storage for your business, or your small apartment. No matter why you need a storage unit, a little organization will help you stay sane, find things you need, and keep your belongings in good shape. If you don’t have time to read the explanations of our tips, here’s a quick list to get you started organizing your storage unit: Clean your storage unit, clean your belongings. Label boxes clearly. Make an inventory list of your storage unit. Large, heavy items you don’t need on the bottom at the back of your storage unit. Keep a center aisle. Think vertical: stack, stack, stack. Keep needed items at the front in clear bins, if possible. Clean Your Storage Unit, Clean Your Belongings It’s likely that when the previous renter of your storage unit moved out, the unit was reviewed and cleaned by an Alamo staff member. Still, there could be some debris that was missed. Take a broom and sweep out the unit, then take the broom and clean the corners of the unit where spider webs might be located. Now, your storage unit is ready. Cleaning your items before packing them or loading them into the storage unit is a good way to review each item for any damage, and to make sure they’ll be ready for use or display when you move them back to where you want them in your home. Label Boxes Clearly Make your life easier to unpack by labeling every box or piece of furniture clearly. For labels, you’ll likely want two types of information. One, you’ll want to list the room in your home these items came from. And two, you’ll want to list what items or what types of items are in the box. Another organizational method could include numbering the box, ...


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October 11th, 2021

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 ...


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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 ...


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August 16th, 2021

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