Alright, let’s be real. Trying to guess what size storage unit you need is the worst. It’s like trying to guess how many meatballs you need for a party of 40. You’re either going to have a mountain of leftovers or you’ll have a full-scale riot on your hands.

I’ve been there. I’ve helped friends move and watched them rent a huge unit only to fill a quarter of it. I’ve also seen the sheer panic when a 5×5 unit won’t fit that one, last, stupidly large armchair.

So, let’s cut through the nonsense. This isn’t a corporate guide. This is me giving you the same advice I’d give my sister.

Forget Square Feet. Think in Couches

The websites all talk in dimensions like 5×5 or 10×20. That means nothing until you translate it. So let’s do that.

The “I Need a Weekend” Unit (5×5)

Think of a small garden shed. This is for the stuff you’re almost ready to get rid of. That box of childhood memorabilia you can’t ditch, your winter tires, five boxes of books, and a lamp. If you try to put a couch in here, we’re going to have words. This is a closet, not a room.

The “Breakup/Bad Roommate” Unit (5×10)

This is the most popular size for a reason. It fits the contents of a single room. I’m talking a queen-size mattress, a dresser, a sofa, a TV, and a solid wall of boxes. If you’re grabbing your stuff and getting out of a situation, this is your jam. It’s also perfect for all the garage stuff, so you can finally park your car in there.

The “We’re Definitely Moving Someday” Unit (10×10)

This is a bedroom. A real, honest-to-goodness bedroom. You can walk into it. You can fit the entire contents of a one-bedroom apartment in here: fridge, washer, dryer, king-size bed, couch, dining table—the whole shebang. You stack it high and pack it tight, but it all fits. This is the workhorse.

The “My House Exploded” Unit (10×20+)

This is a garage. You’re putting a whole 3-4 bedroom house in here. You’re driving a car into it. This is for big life changes—renovations, cross-country moves, inheriting your aunt’s entire collection of porcelain figurines.

The One Thing You MUST Do Before You Call Anyone

I don’t care how busy you are. Do this one thing: Make a pile.

Seriously. Don’t just look around your apartment. Physically move everything you want to store into one room or one area of the garage. Stack the boxes. Line up the furniture. Stand back and look at it.

This pile doesn’t lie. It shows you the true, brutal, three-dimensional volume of your life’s accumulation. This visual is worth a thousand website size guides.

A Few Unsexy Pro-Tips

• Disassemble Everything. That IKEA bookshelf? Take it apart. The legs on the dining table? Unscrew them. It turns big, awkward shapes into flat, stackable rectangles. It’s the single biggest space-saver, and everyone is too lazy to do it.
• Stack to the Ceiling. You’re paying for all the air above your stuff, too. Use it. Get strong boxes, put the heaviest ones on the bottom, and build a stable wall of stuff. Just don’t put the 50-pound box of textbooks on top of the box labeled “XMAS ORNAMENTS – FRAGILE.”
• Leave a Pathway. Don’t pack it like a can of sardines. Leave a little alleyway so you can get to the back. Because you will need that one thing you packed at the very back in six months.

Here’s the Real Secret

You know what the best tool is? The phone.

I’m serious. After you’ve made your pile, call a real, live human being at a storage facility. Describe your pile to them. “Hey, I’ve got a queen bed, a three-seater couch, a dining table with four chairs, and about 20 medium boxes.”

They do this all day, every day. They can hear your list and instantly know if you’re a 10×10 or a 10×15. They’ve seen it all.

At our place, Locked & Loaded Storage, that’s literally our favorite thing to do. We love the puzzle of it. We’ll ask you a bunch of questions, maybe even have you text a picture of your pile, and then we’ll tell you exactly what you need. No upsell. No pressure. We’d rather get you the right size so you’re happy and don’t call us next month complaining you need a different one.

So save yourself the guesswork. Make the pile. Then give us a ring. Let’s get you sorted.