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Choosing a Self Storage Unit - Knowing What Size You Need
An article provided by Simply Self Storage

One of the largest questions that individuals who are planning on renting a self storage unit have is how to know just what size of unit they will need for all of their possessions. After all, you do not want to find that you have rented a mini storage unit that is too small for your needs, nor do you want to find that you have over-spent and rented a space that is far too large for your needs either.

Planning is the Key

If you know that you will be moving or need to use a mini storage unit, either long term or short term, the first thing you need to do is decide what items you will be placing in your storage unit. It does not matter whether you will be using your self storage unit for personal items or for your home or other business, you will need to make a list of the items you want to place in your unit and begin to think about how you will pack those items.

Once you have your list, begin to organize your items into groupings of similar or like-sized items. For example, if you have a great deal of photographs or books you want to store, those items should all be packed together in similar sized boxes.

Self Storage Unit Sizes

Once you have your list and are satisfied that you are organized, then you should go down to your self storage facility and talk to the manger about what size unit you need. Below is a list of fairly standard guides for storage unit sizes:

  • 5' x 5' (25 sf) – Dresser, a small (twin/full) mattress set, boxes and small items. Useful for garden tools or holiday items like lawn ornaments or Christmas tree decorations.
  • 5' x 10' (50 sf) – Furnishings of a mid-size bedroom, including a queen mattress, dresser, television and a few storage boxes.
  • 10' x 10' (100 sf) – Entire family room or furniture from two bedrooms.
  • 10' x 15' (150 sf) – Three bedrooms, including dresser, queen/full mattress sets, television and boxes. Recommended for larger items such as pianos, couches or large-screen televisions or entertainment units.
  • 10' x 20' (200 sf) – Contents of a five bedroom house, including a refrigerator, washer and dryer, dining room table and chairs and large boxes.
  • 10' x 30' (300 sf) – Contents of a five to seven bedroom house, including large items such as a couch, mattresses, refrigerator and entertainment center.

If you are planning on storing business items or goods, here is a standard list of sizes that outlines what items can be stored in standard size self storage units:

  • 5' x 5' (25 sf) – Contents of a large office closet, including files, books, office chairs and a few storage boxes.
  • 5' x 10' (50 sf) – Contents of one office, including desk, bookcases, filing cabinets and large storage boxes. Ideal for storing equipment and tools.
  • 10' x 10' (100 sf) – Contents of two offices, including several desks, chairs, computers and a few storage boxes.
  • 10' x 15' (150 sf) – Contents of three offices, including several desks, computers and boxes.
  • 10' x 20' (200 sf) – Approximately five offices (desks, computers, bookcases and file cabinets) or a several years of business and tax files.
  • 10' x 30' (300 sf) – Contents of five offices, including multiple desks, several large boxes, large storage shelves and/or a few pallets of inventory.

Use of Space

Before you commit to a self storage rental unit, visit several storage facilities to find out exactly what amount of space is available in different units. Take a tape measure with you and even a sketch pad to begin planning on how you might use the actual space available in the unit, since how you use the floor space can make a large difference in what size of self storage unit you will need. For example, if you will be placing business records or inventory that you will need frequent access to, you may want to use shelving to create aisles and be able to see stored boxes or inventory. This will make it easier to retrieve items from your storage space, but it will also mean that you will probably need a larger space.

If you will be using your mini storage unit for long term storage purposes, then also consider precisely how you will be using the available space in the unit to store your possessions. Many pieces of furniture can be stored up-ended to limit the amount of floor space necessary. Additionally, you can place boxes on top of dining room tables or other sturdy pieces of furniture.

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