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Alex is the founder of 9Kilo Moving, which he started to help people easily find and choose the right moving company to make their move as stress-free and seamless as possible. He has spent over 20 years working in the moving industry, so he knows every aspect of the business and uses his knowledge to write about the industry and give moving advice. More on about us page

Are you looking to relocate to a new location? Or do you want to declutter your home? A storage unit is the best option you have. These units can easily store all kinds of objects, right from small utensils and books to full-fledged mattresses and vehicles. It all depends on what you wish to store or transfer to another location. There are different types of storage units out there, each with its own utility value and purpose. Here’s a storage unit size guide to help you choose the most suitable unit for your requirements.

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Types Of Storage Units

Broadly speaking, there are three types of storage units based on size and the type of things to store. Storage units are also differentiated on the basis of other factors like accessibility, indoor or outdoor, prevailing climatic conditions, etc. The market also offers personalized storage units in accordance with your requirements.

On the basis of size, the following are the three basic types of storage units:

  • Small storage units
  • Medium storage units
  • Large storage units

To choose the right storage unit, we recommend the following steps -

Step 1: Determine the purpose of your storage unit - for simply storing or for transferring to another location.

Step 2: Make a list of all the things or items that you’ll need to store in the unit.

Step 3: Determine the best storage unit based on the storage unit size guide mentioned below.

1. Small Storage Units

Small storage units are ideal for storing seasonal decorations, or smaller, sparsely-used items. So, if you are looking to make some extra space in your bedroom or home, smaller units are the best solution.

Storage Locker (4 Ft - 8 Ft)

Also sometimes referred to as reduced height storage units, storage lockers are smaller units ranging anywhere between 4 ft and 8 ft. These units are ideal for storing decorative or seasonal items which have no use for the rest of the year. These items tend to occupy too much space that could otherwise be put to better use. Using a small storage unit for them can consequently help you create more space in your home.

Measurement

  • Less than 25 sq. ft.
  • Less than 200 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Season-based clothing
  • Personal belongings
  • Small-sized objects

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To store festive decorations
  • To store occasionally-used items between seasons or semesters

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • Pickup truck
  • Cargo van
  • Personal vehicle

5’x5’ Unit

Having an average height of 8 ft, this storage unit can be compared to closet space. This is the perfect option for those who need extra storage space in their home. Obviously, you won’t get a room’s worth of space. However, as the saying goes, something is better than nothing; some space is better than no space at all. That being said, these units have a fair bit of vertical storage space, so you may be surprised by how much they can hold.

Measurement

  • Size of 25 sq. ft.
  • 200 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Mattress (twin or queen)
  • Small-sized, seasonal attire
  • Books or important documents
  • Sports equipment or clothing
  • Boxes of files or business-related documents
  • Festive decorations

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To declutter your home
  • To store seasonal or rarely-used items
  • To store items that are used between semesters
  • To use as storage for a minor room renovation

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • Moving van
  • Pickup truck
  • Cargo trailer, either a 4’x8’ or a 5’x8’

5’x10’ Unit

This storage unit, compared to a larger closet or smaller room, is definitely an upgrade over the previous unit. Coming under the same category of small storage units, this unit is the perfect option for you if you own a studio apartment or a one-bedroom home and are looking to move. Rather than rent a moving container, you can opt for a 5’x10’ storage unit since it should be enough for a small room’s worth of items. Plus, if you simply want a lot of additional space, a 5’x10’ unit is the largest ‘small storage unit’ that you can use.

Measurement

  • 50 sq. ft.
  • 400 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • A queen mattress set
  • Flat-screen TV as well as TV-stand
  • Different kinds of chairs such as couches or recliners
  • Boxes of woolens or seasonal clothing
  • Dressing tables and nightstands
  • Bicycles & other heavy sporting equipment
  • Refrigerator

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To use as storage when shifting from one home to another
  • To store things in during a renovation
  • To store additional office supplies

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • A 10 ft. moving truck is highly recommended

2. Medium Storage Units

Medium-sized units prove useful to those looking for flexibility, especially amid crucial life events like shifting to a new place or remodeling your home. When you begin a new chapter in your life, you want things to go smoothly. And what better way to store and transport your home decor and belongings than to use medium-sized storage units?

5’x15’ Unit

This is an upgrade from the 5’x10’ closet and is considered to be an extended walk-in closet. However, similar to the previous storage unit, this unit can also be used to store items present in a studio apartment or one-bedroom apartment. Of course, given its increased size, there is some extra storage space for you to utilize on a rainy day. Moreover, even a king-sized bed can easily fit in this storage unit. So, you don’t have to worry about an extra unit just to store or shift a large bed.

Measurement

  • 75 sq. ft.
  • Around 400 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Queen mattress set
  • Flat-screen TV as well as a TV stand
  • Loveseats, chairs, or couches
  • Large sporting equipment like bicycles
  • Large appliances like washer, dryer, refrigerator, etc
  • Boxes of woolens or seasonal clothing
  • Dressing table and nightstands

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To shift from one home to another
  • To store household items and appliances during renovation
  • To store inventory or surplus office supplies

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • A 15 ft. moving truck is highly recommended

10’x10’ Unit

This is one of the most common and popular storing unit options, especially in the indoor storage setting. The reason behind its popularity is that it provides space equal to half the size of a standard car garage. Moreover, it also has the impressive ability to easily store items of 2 entire bedrooms. Such a large storage space can not only enable smooth relocation but also convenient renovation.

Measurement

  • 100 sq. ft.
  • 800 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • King, queen, and twin-sized mattress set
  • Living room furniture set
  • Major appliances (washer/dryer/refrigerator)
  • Entertainment center & flat-screen TV
  • Boxes of clothing/household items
  • Coffee and dining tables

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To remodel or renovate your home
  • To free up space in your garage, attic, or any other room
  • To shift to a small home for a short duration of time

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • A 15 ft. moving truck

10’x15’ Unit

Finally, this is a medium storage unit that can easily fit your vehicle along with some rarely-used items. You can also integrate other useful, chargeable features such as climate-control into this storage facility. So, if you love and care about your vehicle a little too much, this unit is the ideal way to go.

Measurement

  • 150 sq. ft.
  • Around 1,200 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • King and queen mattress set
  • Sofa, loveseat, couch
  • Entertainment centers, dining room sets, coffee tables
  • Large appliances
  • Large music equipment like a conventional piano or speaker

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To store and transport belongings to another location
  • To store a small vehicle
  • To receive additional storage space, particularly useful for businesses

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • Ideally, a 20 ft. moving truck will be useful to transport a medium-sized storage unit

3. Large Storage Units

10’x20’ Unit

If you want to relocate on a deadline or have an entire household’s worth of objects to shift, a single large storage unit is the ideal solution. Even during a home renovation, you can have all your things at one place, inside a large unit. This might just be a better option than using multiple smaller units.

Measurement

  • 200 sq. ft.
  • 1,600 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Furniture from multiple rooms
  • Living room furniture set
  • Major and large-sized appliances like washer, refrigerator, and dryer
  • Dining room set
  • Exercise equipment such as weight sets and treadmill
  • Boxes, household kitchenware, clothing, books, and decorative items

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To move from one place to another
  • To store belongings during a house or multi-room renovation
  • To store a vehicle
  • To acquire additional warehouse space for business

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • 26 ft. moving truck

 

10’x25’ Unit

This large-sized storage unit measures more than a standard-sized garage and provides other useful facilities such as climate control and drive-up feature. So, even if you store your vehicle, you still have additional space to store some other items like larger exercise equipment or furniture which is no longer in use. Boats, water skis and other recreation vehicles can also easily fit in this facility.

Measurement

  • 250 sq. ft.
  • 2,000 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Items from multiple bedrooms
  • Large appliances
  • Couches, chairs, recliners, loveseats
  • Items and appliances pertaining to the kitchen and dining room
  • Patio furniture and household rugs

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To move from one place to another
  • To store personal belongings during a renovation
  • To acquire additional warehouse space for small businesses

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • A 26 ft. moving truck along with a 5’x8’ cargo trailer is recommended

10’x30’ Unit

Although larger, specialized storage units do exist, this unit is the largest storage facility at most companies and measures around the same as a standard 1 1/2 car garage. This storage unit has the ability to store items from 4 fully-furnished bedrooms with room to spare. Even recreational vehicles can also be stored in this facility.

Measurement

  • 300 sq. ft.
  • 2,400 cu. ft.

Common Items Stored In The Unit

  • Items from multiple bedrooms and large household appliances
  • Couches, chairs, recliners, loveseats
  • Kitchen and dining room furniture
  • Outdoor appliances like mowers and snowblowers
  • Patio furniture and household rugs
  • Garage contents
  • Exercise equipment such as a treadmill, bike, etc

Common Uses Of This Unit

  • To store belongings in when relocating
  • To use as storage during a major renovation
  • To acquire additional warehouse space for small businesses or to meet commercial storage needs
  • To store and transfer everyday-use and recreational vehicles, heavy appliances and more

Type Of Moving Truck Recommended

  • A 26 ft. moving truck is recommended along with a 6’x12’ cargo trailer

Role Of Storage Units in Relocation

Storage and transportation go hand-in-hand especially with respect to shifting from one location to another. If you have your things sorted out and segregated into various storage units, it will become easier for the moving company to transport them to your desired location. Apart from moving, who wouldn’t want flexible, convenient storage? From college kids to families renovating a home, storage units can help out in practically any situation. Their versatility only makes your life that much easier, and advanced options like climate-controlled storage are perfect for those high-end items that need special storage.

See also: Best Self-Storage Companies

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Conclusion

Nowadays, companies tend to offer a wide variety of storage units, catering to all kinds of storage requirements. So, you don’t have to worry about finding the right kind of storage unit. What you need to concern yourself with are the things you need to store. Once you make a list of things to store and get the right packing materials, choosing the right storage unit will be a piece of cake. You can always refer to this storage unit size guide to make the best decision!

FAQs

What Do You Mean By A Storage Unit?

A storage unit is essentially a unit used for shelving goods and household items, particularly useful in a warehouse setting instead of the sales setting for corporate uses. You can make use of small and large storage units at home. They have also proved particularly useful while shifting from one place to another. To store heavy objects like vehicles, cupboards, beds, etc., storage units definitely come in handy.

How Much Does A 10’x10’ Storage Unit Cost?

As per the storage unit size guide by SpareFoot, the average cost to rent a 10’x10’ storage unit is $94.28 per month. It is also the most popular storage unit used by people due to its capacity to store larger objects such as furniture sets, mattress sets, coffee tables, and much more.

What Is The Smallest Storage Unit Which You Can Get?

A 5’x’5 unit is the most common smallest storage unit, easily available across the country. This storage unit is 25 square feet and 200 cubic feet. Smaller storage units do exist but they may not be easily available at your city or location.

See also: Top-Rated 24-Hour Storage Companies | Different Types of Self Storage Units | How to Move Out of a Storage Unit | How to Choose a Storage Facility