Storage Unit Size Calculator
| Unit | Raw cu ft | Usable (~70%) | Holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5x5 | ~250 | ~175 | closet: seasonal boxes, loveseat |
| 5x10 | ~500 | ~350 | studio apartment |
| 10x10 | ~800 | ~550 | one-bedroom apartment |
| 10x15 | ~1,200 | ~850 | two-bedroom apartment |
| 10x20 | ~1,600 | ~1,150 | two-to-three-bedroom house |
| 10x30 | ~2,400 | ~1,700 | whole house, garage included |
Storage units sell square feet but you live in cubic ones: the industry chart runs 5x5 closet drawers to 10x30 two-car-garage bays, and every size carries a realistic packing ceiling near 70 percent of its raw cubic feet - aisles, door swing and the awkward lamp nobody stacks eat the rest.
Bottom line: a studio apartment packs into a 5x10, a one-bedroom into a 10x10, a two-bedroom into a 10x15 and a three-bedroom house into a 10x20 - and the honest move is sizing for 70 percent, because a unit you can not walk into is a unit you can not use without unloading it first.
The honest part: the chart assumes furniture disassembled, boxes uniform, and everything stacked to seven feet. If you need mid-lease access to the couch or the tax boxes, add one size - or rent two small units and keep one civilized.
How to use
- Estimate your stuff in cubic feet - the sofa-bed-and-boxes method: count sofa/chair/bed/mattress as 100 to 150 cubic feet each and each moving box as 3.
- Read the smallest unit whose usable capacity (about 70 percent of raw) clears your total.
- Add one size if you need a walkway, monthly access, or the things are mostly awkward shapes - mattresses, gym equipment, the crib.
Frequently asked questions
What fits in a 10x10 storage unit?
About 800 raw cubic feet, realistically 550 to 600 packed: the contents of a one-bedroom apartment - a sofa, a bed set, a dresser, a small dining set and 30 to 40 boxes - with a narrow aisle if you stack deliberately. It is the most common size rented, which also makes it the most commonly oversize-felt unit when people skip the packing math.
How big is a 5x5 storage unit really?
A closet: 25 square feet, roughly 150 to 175 packed cubic feet - a loveseat or a mattress set plus a dozen boxes, or the seasonal overflow of one person's apartment. It is the right answer to 'where do the holiday decorations and the ski gear go' and the wrong answer to 'where does the studio apartment go'.
Do I need climate-controlled storage?
For wood furniture, electronics, instruments, photographs, or anything leather - yes; the garage-door metal units swing 40 degrees and 60 percent humidity across a year, which warps, cracks and mildews exactly the items worth storing. Climate units run 30 to 50 percent more, so the honest split is: climate for the good stuff, standard for the plastic bins and patio furniture.
Is a 10x20 unit big enough for a 3-bedroom house?
Usually - a 10x20 holds about 1,600 raw cubic feet, and a three-bedroom home's contents run 1,000 to 1,300 packed. It fits if you stack to the ceiling and disassemble beds; it does not fit with a garage's worth of tools and a piano. Houses with garages typically land a size up, and the calculator's 70 percent line already prices in a walkway.