Texas Self Storage

If you’re a Texan who’s tired of not having enough living space and want to clear out some room in your home or business, a self storage company can help. All of us have items that we don’t need to keep around, but simply don’t want to throw away. And our attics, basements, and garages simply get filled up after a while. If you live in Texas and don’t want to contract an expensive moving company or pay for a pricey storage facility, there are resources available near you to help you clear the clutter.

How do I get my stuff there?

Unless you have a pickup truck or van, you’ll need to rent a moving truck. For a storage run you’re usually better off choosing the largest truck you can afford to assure that all of your furnishings, personal belongings, and valuables will fit into the truck in a single load and can be transported in a single trip. If you have a lot of junk to store, many national moving truck rental firms have large vehicles around 24-26 feet long which are capable of carrying the contents of an entire home and can even tow a car behind them if you need it.

Most likely you won’t need to put that much stuff into storage, so it’s probably a good idea to rent a smaller sized truck. A larger one will save on unloading and loading time, as well as saving on gas, and will cut down on the number of trips back and forth between your home and the storage space. But if saving money on the rental of a moving vehicle is important, there are a number of smaller moving trucks which get better gas mileage and are cheaper to rent. You just might have to make multiple trips. Let’s face it, you don’t always need a large truck or you may not have many items to move, so check out all of the different sized vehicles available to find the right one for you.

What exactly is self storage?

The concept behind self storage is simple: You take your goods or items to the storage facility, pay them a fee, and in return they provide you with a storage space where you can keep your items safe and secure for a contracted period of time. Storage units are available monthly, quarterly or for an entire year or more, making self storage a fantastic solution for individuals, small businesses, or large corporations. A quickly growing business in the United States and the world over, self storage facilities are on the rise in several areas, including the greater Texas region, making it easy to find a location near you.

How self storage works

You can store almost anything you want in self storage. The most common items kept in self storage units are household goods, furniture, antiques, appliances, clothing, as well as sensitive items like important business and personal documents. The renter is provided with a key or a security code, and in some cases can provide their own lock, allowing them to easily check or access their goods at their convenience, normally 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

Total control of your own access

You provide the lock. You hold the key or the combination. Or you are given your own key to an individual storage unit. Unless you give that key or combination to someone else, you alone control the security of your stored items. The storage facility staff or owners cannot access your items unless you allow them to do so, decreasing the risk of damage or theft to the valuable items left in your storage space. Self storage gives their clients complete control over their stored items.

What can you put in self storage?

The list of what can be placed into self storage is endless, the restrictions are very few, and the benefits of self storage are vast. Check with a local storage facility to get a list of any restrictions relative to their policies or State of Texas law.

Protect your important items

Texas business owners or individuals can utilize self storage units to keep valuable items or important documents off-site and away from possible harm. This way, if fire, catastrophe, or other disasters strike your home or business, you won’t lose valuable keepsakes, antiques, luxury items, or irreplaceable records and documents. Self storage provides a valuable way to protect precious items and secure documents. The added benefit to you is more space, greater organization, and less clutter in your work or home life.

Don’t waste money building your own storage building

With self storage, anything from a few boxes to an automobile can be stored safely and conveniently. Storage spaces range in size from a small closet to a large room or garage, with warehouse sized space or outdoor enclosures big enough to house a recreational vehicle.

There’s no need to build your own shed or storage building to house belongings, which can take up valuable space on your property, and there’s no reason to clutter up your own garage, basement, attic, or spare bedroom with items you don’t want to get rid of but simply don’t have the space to store. Self storage units cost a fraction of the expense of building your own storage space.

Don’t worry about your privacy

Besides the security and surveillance monitoring provided by a self storage facility, nobody is looking over your shoulder to see exactly which items you’re placing into self storage, either. The relationship between a self storage client and the storage company is private and discreet.

Of course you cannot store items deemed dangerous or illegal in the state of Texas, but other than a few basic common sense rules; there are very few restrictions as to what can be placed into self storage. There also are no requirements that you notify the storage company exactly what you’re storing with them, just so long as you follow their rules, your privacy is well assured.

Keep your items close to you

There are self storage facilities located everywhere, from small towns in rural areas to large metropolitan cities across the state of Texas. Each storage company varies as to their costs, terms, and availability of space or range of services, so do some research before selecting a self storage site.

The vast number of self storage facilities available in the State of Texas, coupled with the large number of areas these facilities can be found in makes self storage a convenient and close option, and cuts down on travel time and costs to and from your stored items.

Pay for the amount of time and size of space you choose

Self storage companies don’t require long term contracts. You can pay monthly for an individual storage unit or for larger specified blocks of time. The flexibility of self storage allows you to use the storage unit for as long or as short a period as you require. You pay only for the space you use and the time you want to use it.

And because of the large variety of individual storage spaces available, you can downgrade to a smaller unit or upgrade to a larger one with ease, making self storage a flexible and convenient option. The space can grow or change along with your needs.

A range of other services are available

Many self storage companies in Texas will even help you move your items in or out of a storage space for a fee. Some, like Storage Mart, also provide additional services such as moving and packing supplies or even moving vehicle rentals. Often they can provide associated items such as cardboard boxes, packing crates, chests, shelving, or other storage supplies to help you organize your space.

Packing tips

If you’re on a budget and don’t want to pay for packing supplies, you can get strong boxes for free from a supermarket or liquor store. Ask your grocery store manager for apple or pear boxes. They’re heavy duty and best for moving. They don’t have a top to them, but are very hard. You may also able to find free boxes and free packing paper on Craig’s list.

Blankets and old clothes are a simple and economical way to pack fragile kitchen items like dishes. Use plain plastic bags to pack in rather than black or white trash bags because you can see inside of them without ripping them open. It’s easy to forget what you’ve stored after a few months or weeks, so you’ll be glad you did this. You may want rope or heavy string and you might want to rent a hand truck or dolly.

How to find the right self storage company

The best resource for finding a self storage facility is the Internet. To find a Texas storage facility near you simply make search by city or zip code to find the best storage solution.