What size storage unit do I need?
Online size calculators are guesses dressed up as math. Here's what actually fits, described in furniture rather than square feet.
Quick answer: a 5×5 holds a large closet's worth. A 5×10 holds one room or a studio. A 10×10 holds a one-bedroom apartment. A 10×15 holds a two- to three-bedroom house. A 10×20 is about a one-car garage and holds a three- to four-bedroom house. A 10×30 holds a large household or commercial inventory. If you'll need to walk in and reach things regularly, size up one step so you have an aisle.
5×5 — 25 sq ft
Think: a large closet, or a stack of boxes four feet deep.
Holds: 15–20 boxes, holiday decorations, golf clubs, a bicycle, a small dresser, seasonal clothing, business files.
Doesn't hold: a mattress set laid flat, or appliances.
5×10 — 50 sq ft
Think: a walk-in closet, or half a small bedroom.
Holds: a queen mattress set, dresser, nightstand, a dozen boxes, a bicycle. Or a motorcycle with room to walk around it.
Common for: a studio apartment, a dorm room, or one room of a house during a renovation.
10×10 — 100 sq ft
Think: half a standard one-car garage.
Holds: a one-bedroom apartment — couch, bed, dining table and chairs, a dresser, TV, and roughly 15 boxes.
Watch out: a washer, dryer and refrigerator together will eat about a third of this before any furniture goes in.
10×15 — 150 sq ft
Think: three-quarters of a one-car garage.
Holds: a two- to three-bedroom house, appliances included. Two full bedroom sets, living room, dining room and boxes.
Also good for: a contractor's tools, materials and job-site gear with room to load and unload.
10×20 — 200 sq ft
Think: a standard one-car garage.
Holds: a three- to four-bedroom house with major appliances. Or a car, with household goods stacked around it.
Common for: a full household move, or storing between selling one house and closing on the next.
10×30 — 300 sq ft
Think: a deep one-car garage, or a small commercial bay.
Holds: a large household with room left over, commercial inventory, or a vehicle plus a substantial amount of furniture.
Common for: business storage, estate contents, and long builds.
Five rules that hold up
- One bedroom of furniture is about 50 sq ft. Count bedrooms, multiply, add a little.
- Appliances are the hidden cost. Washer, dryer and refrigerator together take roughly a third of a 10×10.
- An aisle is cheaper than a wasted Saturday. If you'll be in and out, size up one step rather than unloading the whole unit to reach one box.
- Height is free space. Most people use half the vertical room they're paying for. Sturdy boxes and a plan get you a size smaller.
- Load what you'll want first nearest the door. Seasonal storage done this way often fits in a smaller unit than you'd expect.
Or just describe it to us
Every online size calculator is working from the same generic table. The manager here has watched move-ins since 1998 on this specific property and knows how these particular units load.
Call and say what you've got. If a smaller unit will do the job, you'll be told so — renting somebody the wrong size is how you lose a tenant in three months.
A note on what we don't have
All of our units are ground-level with drive-up access, and none of them are climate controlled. For the overwhelming majority of what people store — furniture, appliances, tools, inventory, seasonal gear, boats and campers — that's exactly right, and it keeps the rate lower than a climate-controlled facility would charge you.
If you're storing something genuinely climate-sensitive for a long stretch — fine art, a piano, vinyl records, antique wood furniture — a climate-controlled facility is the better answer, and we'll tell you that on the phone rather than rent you the wrong thing.
Still not sure?
Describe your load over the phone. It takes about a minute to get you to the right size.
(828) 890-1400