How to Choose the Right Storage Unit Size (Without Overpaying)

Almost everyone who calls a storage facility opens with the same question: what size do I need? It's the right question, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on what you're storing — not on a round number a salesperson wants to sell you. Here's how we'd size it if the stuff were ours.

Start with the biggest thing, then fill around it

Sizing a unit is really about the largest, most awkward item you're storing. A mattress set, a sofa, a refrigerator, a dining table — those set the footprint. Once the big pieces have a home, boxes and bins fill the gaps around and on top of them.

A rough room-by-room guide

• 5x5 (25 sq ft) — a large walk-in closet. Seasonal decor, a few boxes, business archives.
• 5x10 (50 sq ft) — a studio or one-bedroom apartment's worth of furniture and 15–20 boxes.
• 10x10 (100 sq ft) — a one-to-two bedroom apartment, including appliances. Our most popular size.
• 10x15 (150 sq ft) — a two-to-three bedroom home with major appliances and patio furniture.
• 10x20 (200 sq ft) — a three-to-four bedroom house, or a car plus a household.
• 10x30 (300 sq ft) — a five-plus bedroom estate, or a full e-commerce inventory operation.

When in doubt, size up a notch

The jump between two sizes is usually a small monthly difference. A unit you can walk into, where you can reach the box at the back without unloading the front, is worth the modest upcharge every time.