Don’t Rent More Than You Need: How to Determine the Perfect Storage Unit Size
10 May 2023
Home / Don’t Rent More Than You Need: How to Determine the Perfect Storage Unit Size
Are you looking for a secure and organised way to store your belongings? Renting a storage unit is the perfect solution! But with so many different sizes available, finding the right one can be tricky. To simplify this process and help you make an informed decision when selecting a unit, we’ve created our ultimate size guide.
Our resource includes valuable tips on assessing space requirements and optimising storage – ensuring that all of your items are kept safe while maximising the capacity of any unit size.
Ease into organising with our helpful guide today.
Assessing Your Needs

Before you start browsing different unit sizes, it’s essential to create a list of all the belongings you need to store and measure their dimensions. This will provide you with an accurate estimate of how much space you’ll require, ensuring you don’t rent a unit too big or too small.
By creating a detailed inventory, you can also ensure that your belongings are organised and easily accessible, minimising the chances of damage and confusion when retrieving them.
Pro Tip: If you’re storing furniture, make sure to disassemble it before moving it into your storage unit. This will help you save space and keep your items in better condition.
Choose the Right Storage Unit Size

10 sq. ft. Storage Unit
10 sq. ft unit is perfect for storing small items or a few boxes, such as seasonal clothing, holiday decorations or important documents.
- Students: this size is perfect for storing dorm room essentials over the holidays.
- Small business owners: this size is perfect for storing inventory, supplies or equipment.
- Decluttering your home: this size can help you store those sentimental items you’re not quite ready to part with but don’t have space for in your home.
Pro Tip: Stack your boxes to make the most of your vertical space. Use shelving units to help keep everything organised and accessible.
25 sq. ft. Storage Unit
This size can accommodate larger items, such as bicycles or small furniture items and can fit several medium-sized boxes.
- You can store a twin-sized mattress, bed frame, desk, chair and a few boxes in this unit.
- If you’re a small business owner, you can store additional inventory, supplies or files.
- You can store seasonal equipment, like lawnmowers and gardening tools, during the off-season.
Pro Tip: Use bubble wrap or moving blankets to protect your furniture from scratches or damage during transport and storage.
50 sq. ft. Storage Unit
When it comes to storing larger items like sofas, chairs or mattresses, a 50 sq. ft. unit is an excellent option. This size is also suitable for storing appliances like refrigerators or washing machines.
- If you’re moving to a new home, you can store the contents of a small apartment or a few large items from a larger home.
- You can store a queen-sized bed, a dresser, a couch and a few boxes.
- Small business owners can store large inventory items, like display cases or merchandise racks.
- Additionally, this unit size is perfect for storing a vehicle, like a motorcycle or ATV.
Pro Tip: Use a furniture dolly or a truck to move heavy items. This will make the process much easier and safer for you and your belongings.
75 sq. ft. Storage Unit
This size can store the contents of a small apartment, including large furniture pieces like couches, tables, appliances and several boxes.
- Small business owners can store additional inventory, supplies or office equipment.
- Homeowners can store a queen-sized bed, a dining table set, a refrigerator, a washer and dryer and around 30 medium-sized boxes.
Pro Tip: Label all of your boxes with the contents and room they belong in. This will make it much easier to find what you’re looking for when needed.
100 sq. ft. Storage Unit
When you have a lot of furniture or a significant collection of items, a 100 sq. ft. unit provides ample storage space. This size can store a full bedroom set, including a king-size bed, dressers, nightstands and several boxes.
- Suitable for storing large items like sectional couches, dining room sets or pianos.
- Perfect for homeowners who need to store the contents of a small home or apartment.
- Perfect for small business owners who need additional space for inventory or equipment.
- You can also use this size unit to store a vehicle, like a car or a small boat, with some extra space for additional boxes or smaller items.
Pro Tip: Use vacuum-sealed bags to compress items like comforters and pillows. This will help you save space and keep your items fresh and clean.
150 sq. ft. Storage Unit and Larger
This size can comfortably accommodate:
- Large homes or offices that require space for furniture, appliances and equipment.
- A whole-house inventory; multiple rooms of furniture, appliances and collections.
- Small business owners who need extra space for their inventory, tools and equipment.
Pro Tip: Store your vehicle on jack stands to relieve the weight on the tires. This will help prolong the life of your tires and prevent flat spots.
Container Storage
Storage containers are a secure and viable alternative to traditional indoor storage units and can be used whether you require a personal or business storage solution. They are perfect for:
- Storing furniture during a large house move.
- Protecting costly items while downsizing.
- Serving as a secure workshop space for entrepreneurs.
- Storing costly equipment and tools.
- Protecting and storing excess business inventory or office supplies.
Pro Tip: Outdoor containers also often offer drive-up access, allowing you to easily load goods from your car into the unit.
Wigwam’s Size Guide/ Space Calculator
At Wigwam Self Storage, we understand that choosing the right storage unit size can be a daunting task. That’s why we’ve created a handy space calculator to make it easier for you.
By simply entering the items you plan to store, we’ll give you an estimate of the unit size that is suitable for your needs.
Pro Tip: Make sure to measure the height of your items as well as their width and depth to ensure that you select a storage unit with adequate vertical space.
Conclusion
Looking for a storage unit to suit your needs? At Wigwam Self Storage our experts will help you find the right fit! From 10 sq. ft. up to 150 sq. ft. and beyond, we offer expansive storage solutions tailored just for you. Get started today by exploring our convenient online space calculator tool – it’s never been easier to start storing smarter!
Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage.He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space.With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.
Customer Reviews

Clean, secure, easy access storage facilities at a very good price, would recommend to anyone. Keep up the good work all.
Lenny was not only very efficient and kind, he explained everything clearly making the whole process stress free.
I started by visiting the website, which was easy to navigate and helped me determine the right unit size.
After submitting my details, I received a follow-up call during which all my questions were answered professionally.
The units are clean and well maintained, and having a personal access code made it easy to visit at a time that suited me.
The team here is genuinely lovely and professional.
Thank you for looking after me — highly recommended!

location. Good access in opening hours using the App. (Be prepared to check mail filter if the initial email giving access to the App and hence to your store does not seem to come through.) Clean, well lit. Kasey gave a very helpful introduction and registration process.


I've never used self storage before so it was all new to me but Wigwam have made it so intuitive and simple to use. You download the app which gives you easy Bluetooth access to the entire building. I've only used the facility out of office hours and it was all so easy. There are flat bed trolleys, a pump truck and a sack truck to make moving your items hassle free. Safe, secure storage, easy to use, accessible until 10pm and reasonable prices. Top marks all round.
I'd recommended Wigwam to anyone wanting self storage.


Lenny called as soon as I emailed and was extremely helpful on making this process quick and easy so i could get into the unit the next day.
there was an issue with the app when i went to use the unit but i emailed Lenny and he rang back within 5 mins and managed to resolve the issue very quickly.
would recommend and thanks to Lenny for making the process smooth.
Units are clean and well maintained with easy access.
Many thanks!! 😊
Peter & Heather
Set up went well and app appears to work well and is easy to use.
Cheers

Containers are amazing excellent lighting and very clean.
Thank you Lenny 👍xx
Wigwam are highly recommended by me!
I can’t recommend Wigwam Storage in Lincoln highly enough. From start to finish, the whole experience was fantastic. Every member of the team was incredibly helpful, friendly, and professional — nothing was too much trouble, and they genuinely went out of their way to make the process easy and stress-free.
The facility itself is excellent: clean, secure, well-maintained, and clearly run with a lot of care. It’s obvious they take real pride in what they do, and that gives you total peace of mind when storing your belongings.
If you’re looking for a reliable storage facility in Lincoln with an amazing team and top-quality facilities, Wigwam Storage is the place to go. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again and will happily recommend them to anyone.
Would recommend to everyone.
The signing up process was easy, and the service from the staff was speedy, friendly, helpful and professional.
The app used to access the premises was easy to use and gave added assurance of the security of my items.
Once inside the premises were modern, clean, well lit, and directions to the storage unit were clear and easy to follow…. Even the lift had step by step instructions!
All in all a fantastic company and storage facility.
Thank you!


The customer service is second to none, and facilities utterly perfect.
11 out of 10.

I was very impressed everything is via the app and that side of things is very responsive and I have had no issues so far.
They even play the radio in there.
Holly was an absolute star, we were panicking as we were in the middle of our house moving and needed a quick storage area. Less then an hour after our first call we were already putting boxes to our Storage.
The site is nice and clean, the entry system is truly clever and makes the storage Access easy and quick.
Customer service is top notch 👌
They talked me through the entering and exiting the facility. Jess was outstanding dealing with all the paperwork quickly and me being forgetful and dim.
Thank you very much, hopefully I won't set any alarms off again


My one suggestion is to extend the timers on the doors when entering the storage unit as sometimes it enough time to unload big deliveries onto a trolley and get back to the unit building before the doors close!
All in all, AMAZING company! Couldn’t recommend more :)


All the staff are very helpful and friendly highly recommended
Access is available 6am to 10pm

System 4 Stars
Sarah 5 Stars

The whole experience was excellent.
TheWigwam staff saw the shipment into the storage unit for us and made it all as simple as is possible when moving home and countries at the same time.
The storage building is well organised, clean, tidy, secure and access was available everyday for a significant number of hours.
Most of all ,the staff were kind, concerned, helpful and friendly. as anyone using the storage facility will learn.
Mary Welstead

Staff were very helpful on the phone setting everything up and compared to other units in Alton Wigwam are very reasonably priced.
Would definitely recommend them
Highly recommend this storage facility to anyone looking for safe, affordable, and hassle-free storage in Bath!



Much Appreciated ☺️
I’d highly recommend them to anyone!

Great service for a great price. Highly recommend.










Very happy client so far, thanks to Lenny and team 🙏😃


The units are easy to access, they are spacious and clean. I have a lot of camping equipment plus all my Xmas decorations (I have a lot) in the winter we will also be storing our hot tub. We also have lots of stuff that was the children’s when they were growing up. It has given us the spare room back at the house.
Staff are always polite friendly and very helpful.





The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Thank you Lenny for dealing with our emergency fast and supportive,

For full disclosure, we've only just rented the unit and filled it up, but the experience so far has been great. Response times to emails and helpfulness of staff has been excellent.
Thankyou
I would highly recommend .

Would highly recommend.
Beautifully clean facilities, fully automated access. Ample parking and menouvering space for cars and vans.
So easy to use the storage unit.
Thank you to Wigwam self storage Lincoln.
5*****
My wife and I moved back and forth between Cheltenham and other European countries during our two months long trip, Mr.Harrison( Kasey) supported us friendly and professionally.
We will definitely use it again next time.
See you !
We needed sudden storage after selling our parents’ house. I stopped in at the Bromsgrove branch and found it unmanned, (which I now know is normal).
I rang the number and spoke to an extremely helpful employee who offered me immediate, remote access to the building and let me see inside two different sized units.
After that, the set up was extremely quick!
I applied in the morning and was able to drop stuff off the same day. Everything is activated by an app on your phone but staff can be contacted by phone if needed.
On my second visit (after lots of rain) I did notice a pool of water not far from my unit. I rang up and by next day it had been sorted. No recurrence.
I am really happy with the unit and the excellent service.
Lift so you don’t have to struggle in and out with your things lots of parking too
The best thing that made me hire space is the ladies in reception they were so accommodating and helpful so thank you
I hired storage for my daughter to store all her Uni belongings while she was away for the summer.
Sasha provided excellent friendly service. Always at hand to help with any questions from the beginning to the end of our contract.
Great value for money.
Thank you Sascha.
Helen was efficient, proactive, enthusiastic, engaging and more importantly had a great sense of humour.
You could not ask more of a person or company.
Thank you.
Highly recommend this company
Would definitely recommend.

