Whether you’re moving to or from a dorm room, getting your first apartment, downsizing, or transitioning your family to a new home, the items that fill your space are important—and finding the right space to store them can be tricky. To help ease the process, we’ve compiled a list of storage unit size recommendations for common household items. Read more below!
Storage Unit Sizes for Appliances
We rely heavily on our appliances—from keeping our food fresh to cleaning our clothes, they are the MVPs of our homes. So, when making a move or downsizing, it’s crucial to find space for temporary storage. The following can help you decide which unit will best fit your small and major appliances.
- Refrigerator: 5x5 unit
- Freezer: 5x5 unit
- Washer & Dryer: 5x10 unit
- Stove/Oven: 5x5 unit
- Dishwasher: 5x5 unit
- Vacuum, Clothes Steamer, & Iron: 5x5 unit
- Window Air Conditioning Unit, Portable Heater, & Dehumidifier: 5x5 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Keepsakes, Collectibles, Antiques, & Seasonal Items
Items like keepsakes and collectibles are the heart of what makes a space your home. From records to personal photos, antique furniture, passed down holiday decor, or a vast library of books—these items are a reflection of your life. To store them effectively, check out the following storage unit size recommendations.
- Special Occasion Items (e.g., tuxedos, wedding dresses, military uniforms, etc.): 5x5 unit
- Maternity & Newborn Clothes or Hand-Me-Downs: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Seasonal & Holiday Decorations: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit, 10x10 unit
- Books & Magazines, Records, & Photo Albums: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Antiques, Artwork, Valuable Collections, & Heirlooms: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Tools & Other Garage Items
The garage often serves as the home’s most essential storage area, housing an array of bulky, seasonal, and utility items that don’t fit inside. If you’re hoping to store anything from lawn and garden equipment to power tools and recreational equipment while reorganizing or moving, you’ll need to know exactly how much room they require. Check out the guide below for storage unit size recommendations tailored for garage inventory.
- Hardware: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Tools: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Garden Supplies: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Snowblowers, Lawnmowers, & Weed Trimmers: 5x10 unit, 10x10 unit
- Workbench, Rolling Tool Caddy, & Organizational Storage: 10x10 unit, 10x15 unit
- Automotive Maintenance Supplies: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit
- Sporting Equipment: 5x5 unit
- Camping Equipment: 10x10 unit
- Ladders: 10x10 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Kitchen Items
Kitchen items make meal prep and dining simpler, and many people feel attached to their beloved culinary devices—from stand mixers to specialty espresso makers—because of the convenience and joy they provide. While you use these essentials daily, there may be times you need to store them short term, such as during a kitchen renovation or home relocation. Check out the list below to find the ideal-sized unit for everything from your delicate dishware and small appliances to your basic cooking gear!
- Small Appliances (e.g., blender, microwave, coffeemaker, etc.): 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Cooking Utensils (e.g., pots, pans, baking supplies, kitchen sets, etc.): 5x5 unit
- Dining Supplies (e.g., silverware & dishware): 5x5 unit
- Dining Table & Chairs: 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit
- Kitchen Linens: 5x5 unit
- Kitchen Cleaning Supplies: 5x5 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Living Room Items
These are large, essential items for your home, and while you may not use them daily in the same way you use kitchen gadgets, you’ll feel their absence immediately. Common household furniture could fit in a variety of spaces so use this list to help you determine your needs.
- Bookshelves & Entertainment Centers: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Coffee & Side Tables: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Window Treatments (e.g., drapes/curtains): 5x5 unit
- Lighting (e.g., side lamps, standing lamps, etc.): 5x5 unit
- Sofas, Loveseats, & Armchairs: 5x10 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Bedroom Items
Whether you’re moving from a studio, a one-bedroom apartment, or a larger home, find the ideal storage unit size to store bedroom furniture like mattresses, clothing, linens, and more.
- Crib with Mattress: 5x5 unit
- Standard Twin Mattress & Bed Frame: 5x10 unit
- Standard Full Mattress & Bed Frame: 5x10 unit
- Standard Queen Mattress & Bed Frame: 10x10 unit
- Standard King Mattress & Bed Frame: 10x10 unit
- Full Bedroom Set(s) (e.g., bed frame, two nightstands, dresser): 5x10 unit, 10x10 unit, 10x15 unit, 10x20 unit, 10x25 unit, 10x30 unit
- Bedding, Blankets, & Comforters: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Clothing & Accessories: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Bathroom Items
The contents of your bathroom often occupy a much larger space than you might expect, consisting of storage furniture, organizational caddies and containers, and a substantial amount of cleaning products, towels, and personal care products. When looking to store bathroom items, the size of your bathroom and how much decor you have also matters.
- Standalone Mirrors: 5x5 unit
- Bathroom Cleaning Supplies: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Towels & Shower Curtain: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Organizational Furniture & Decor: 5x5 unit
Storage Unit Sizes for Spare Room Items
Spare rooms, or flex rooms, can change their purpose, meaning you’ll need to swap out the items in them. Whether you’re storing items from your craft room or art studio to make a home office or setting aside old toys from a playroom to make a home gym, this list can help you decide what storage solution is right for you.
- Office Desks, Chairs, & Filing Cabinets: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Kids Toys: 5x5 unit, 5x10 unit
- Toy Cubbies: 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit
- Board Games & Puzzles: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
- Musical Instruments: 5x5 unit
- Foosball, Ping-Pong, Air Hockey, or Pool Table: 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit
- 60+ inch TVs: 5x10 unit
- Electronics (e.g., gaming consoles, computers, tablets, etc): 5x5 unit
- Work Out Equipment (e.g., treadmill, elliptical, weights, etc.): 5x10 unit, 5x15 unit
- Hobby & Craft Supplies: 5x5 unit
- Documents: Storage locker, 5x5 unit
Tips for Choosing the Right Storage Unit
By assessing your needs in advance of booking a storage unit, you can save time, money, and additional stress. Here are some tips to help you choose the storage unit size you need.
Make a List
Take inventory of what you need to store. This will help you visualize the volume of your belongings. It doesn’t have to be a complicated process—a simple spreadsheet or even a list on your phone can work wonders. Start by categorizing your items. Separate furniture from boxes, and group similar boxes together by room (e.g., kitchen, bedroom, garage). When packing each box, jot down a brief list of its contents and label the box—this will prevent you from having to open every single one later. Take note of large, bulky items like sofas, mattresses, and appliances like a washer and dryer or refrigerator, as these will significantly impact the unit size you need.
Consider Your Ideal Storage Solution
When selecting a storage unit, you’ll notice storage solutions like indoor vs. drive-up access, climate-controlled units, and other storage features and amenities. Understanding which storage solutions are best for your needs can help you save money! To figure out what’s best for you, consider if you’ll be using short or long-term storage, as well as the local climate or seasonality during your planned rental period.
Call the Facility
If you’re still uncertain about the ideal unit size or what unit features you could benefit from, don’t hesitate to reach out to a facility’s friendly team—or feel free to visit the front office! Facility managers are storage experts who can offer personalized guidance. By describing your specific storage needs, we can help you choose the perfect unit and answer any other questions you might have about the rental process.
Review Available Units
When visiting the website of your chosen storage location, you can review our available unit sizes and features to best suit your storage needs. Ready to book your unit? Just select your storage solution and take advantage of our Rapid Rental process, which lets you reserve a unit from anywhere!
Storage Unit Size FAQs
What is a household item?
A common household item is a tangible, movable piece of personal property that’s widely and regularly used within a home for the purpose of daily living, maintenance, utility, comfort, or convenience.
What are the typical ceiling heights of a storage unit?
The typical ceiling height for most storage units is eight feet, though some facilities feature ten-foot ceilings. This vertical space is a key factor in maximizing your storage capacity, as you can stack boxes and items to make the most of your unit.
What’s the difference between square footage and cubic feet for a storage unit?
Square footage—100 sq ft for a 10x10 unit—refers to the floor area of the unit, while cubic feet include the total volume of the unit, including its height, and is easy to calculate. While square footage helps to visualize the floor space, cubic feet is the truer measure of the total storage capacity, which is why it’s so important to think vertically when packing your storage unit.
Besides size, how do storage units differ?
In addition to size, storage units differ by type. The most common unit types are indoor, drive-up, and outdoor. The type of unit you choose, along with its size, will depend on what you’re storing and how often you need to access it.
***
Find Storage Units Near You!
Need storage solutions near you? Whether you’re going through a major life transition, need space while living in an apartment, looking for military storage, going to college, moving, or renovating your home, Extra Space Storage is proud to offer a range of unit sizes and features to fit any short or long-term storage need.
Popular cities for self storage include:
- Arvada, CO Self Storage
- Bethesda, MD Self Storage
- Egg Harbor Township, NJ Self Storage
- Logan, UT Self Storage
- Rio Rancho, NM Self Storage
- St Cloud, FL Self Storage
Get to your better tomorrow—find an Extra Space Storage location near you today!
