Your Guide to the Different Storage Unit Sizes

So, you’ve decided you need to rent some space to store your extra things. Now what? Well, the first question that most people ask themselves is, “What size storage unit do I need?” If you’ve found yourself asking this question, you’re in the right place.

Storage comes in all different shapes and sizes, and one person’s needs will vary wildly compared to another’s. But fear not, we have you covered. In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about storage unit sizes and which one will be right for you. Let’s dive in.

Storage Unit Sizes: How To Pick The Right One

Picking out the suitable space for your stuff is going to boil down to a few different things you’ll need to do and questions you’ll need to ask yourself before you get started. Here are some things to make sure you keep in mind when trying to determine the size that you’ll need.

Decide on the Primary Function of the Unit

At this stage, you’re going to want to look into the future a little bit. The last thing that you want to do is outgrow your storage unit and have to switch spaces or rent an extra one. Taking the time to look ahead to figure out if you can foresee any additional items to be added down the road can save you a lot of headaches.

If you only need the unit to store a car, the process can be fairly straightforward. But if you currently need it to store business inventory and see this inventory expanding, things can get a little more complicated. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you narrow down your search.

• Will I be rotating items in and out?
• Will some of these items be in here permanently?
• Will I just need this storage for a move?
• Do I want wiggle room for unforeseen circumstances?

Say you are just renting the space to store items during a temporary move or a trip. In this case, you probably have a good idea of how much room you’ll need because the situation is temporary.

But perhaps you are on a mission to declutter your house Marie Kondo style. In this case, you might want to rent a bigger space to allow for some breathing room should you decide to keep along the minimalist path.

Conduct an Initial Inventory

It’s one thing to have a vision in your mind of all of the things you’re going to need to store, but it’s a whole different ball game when it comes to making an actual list. Taking the time to walk around your house/garage/office and writing down a list of everything you see going into the unit will do wonders for determining the size of the unit and give you peace of mind and reduce stress.

Once you have your list of items, go a step further and try to imagine how many boxes you’re going to need to store the items. If the item can’t be boxed, take a rough measurement of it and write it down on your list.

Create a Mock Storage Unit

If you really want to do some next-level planning, take some masking tape and measure out the size of the unit that you’re looking at (which we’ll discuss below) in an area where you have some extra space, like your garage or driveway, etc.

When you do this, you’ll be able to place some boxes in the area to see how much room they are going to take and how quickly the space will fill up. This method wouldn’t be convenient if you need a huge storage unit but can be quite handy if you’re in the market for a smaller space.

Err on the Side of Bigger

Nothing would be more frustrating than renting a unit and then finding that you’ve run out of space before you have stored everything that you wanted to. When in doubt, always choose the next size up to give yourself breathing room and peace of mind.

Common Storage Unit Sizes and Uses

While the sizes available will depend on each facility, here is a list of some of the most common storage unit sizes and what you can fit in them.

5×5

This mini-me unit is usually the smallest space you’ll be able to find at a storage rental facility. With just 25 square feet of space, this is the unit for you if you are just looking to offload a few items. Some common things to store in this size of unit are:

• Moving boxes
• Clothing
• Small dresser
• Small equipment
• Twin mattress

5×10

You have a little more real estate to work with here. With 50 square feet, a space like this could be useful for someone that lives in a small apartment. With this unit, you could store things like:

• Moving boxes (10)
• Larger furniture (king size bed, couch)
• Lawn furniture
• Lawn equipment

10×10

This is one of the most common sizes of units that are rented. It’s a size that offers a lot of flexibility and is conducive to storing a wide variety of things. Some of the most common items stored in this size of unit are:

• Entire contents of small apartment
• Appliances
• Up to around 20 moving boxes
• Scooter/motorcycle

10×15

This is a comfortable space that will usually allow you to store the contents of a small to medium-sized two-bedroom apartment. Some other items that could be stored here include:

• Compact car
• Motorcycle
• 20-25 moving boxes
• Major appliances

10×20

With a 10×20 unit, you’re starting to get into the big leagues. This is approximately the size of a one-car garage and can be suitably used to store a full-sized car if you’d like. It’s also used for items such as:

• Contents of a 2–3-bedroom house/apartment
• Business inventory
• 25-30 moving boxes
• Landscaping/shop equipment

10×30

Unless you plan on renting an RV or a boat, this is usually the biggest size you will find or need. Here is what you’ll be able to store in this unit:

• Contents of 3–4-bedroom house/apartment
• Business inventory
• Pick-up truck
• 30-40 moving boxes

Pick Out the Size That’s Right for You Today

Hopefully, you now have a good idea of common storage unit sizes and are ready to choose the option that’s right for you. There are other things to consider as well, such as proximity, climate control, and more. Head to Eagle Drive Storage today to check out a selection of units for all of your needs in Baytown TX.