Storage Size Guide: Save Money & Avoid Mistakes (2026)

Let’s talk storage unit sizes. Because if I have to hear one more story about someone renting a 10×20 and then putting one sad armchair in the middle of it, I might just scream. They’re paying for a studio apartment to store a single chair!

Picking the wrong size is the easiest way to waste money on this whole storage thing. Too big? You’re burning cash. Too small? You’ll end up with a storage unit Tetris game from hell, and probably still need a second unit, which is… You guessed it, burning more cash.

So let’s avoid that. I’m gonna break this down for you the way we do for our customers when they walk into B&D Self Storage looking confused. No robotic jargon. Just real talk.

First, and I mean this, DO THIS:

Go stand in your garage, or your living room, or wherever the stuff is piled up. Take a video on your phone. Pan around slowly. Just get everything in the frame. This is the single most useful thing you can do. Trust me.

Now, let’s translate unit sizes into actual, real-life stuff.

The 5×5 (The “I Miss My Closet” Unit)

• Look, this thing is small. It’s basically a garden shed. If you’re imagining shoving a whole bedroom in here, stop. Just stop.
• This is for the specific things you can’t bear to throw out but also don’t need to see for six months. Your Christmas decorations. Your winter coats. That box of your kid’s art projects from kindergarten that your spouse keeps threatening to “lose.” Maybe a dresser and a mattress if you stack ’em right.
• If you’re a college student storing dorm stuff for the summer, this is your jam. For everyone else, it’s a very specific, targeted solution.

The 5×10 (The “Goldilocks” Unit)

• This is, no joke, our most popular size for a reason. It’s just right for a ton of people.
• Think of it as a walk-in closet you can actually walk into. This bad boy can swallow the entire contents of a one-bedroom apartment. I’m talking:
  • Your sofa.
  • Your bed (disassemble that frame, for the love of god!).
  • Your dresser, your TV, your coffee table.
  • And then you can line all your boxes along the wall.
• You can get to your stuff without needing a map and a compass. It’s beautiful.

The 10×10 (The “Okay, We’re Serious Now” Unit)

• Now we’re talking real space: This feels like a small bedroom. You can probably do a little dance in there if you’re so inclined.
• This is for when you’re clearing out a two-bedroom house or a big apartment: We’re talking living room set, dining room table, multiple beds, the whole nine yards. You can organize this. You can create aisles. You can walk in and find that one specific box of photo albums without breaking a sweat.
• This is the family special: If you’re in the middle of a move and your new place isn’t ready, this is the size that lets you sleep at night.

The 10×20 and Bigger (The “I Could Live In Here” Unit)

• This is a garage. You could park a car in here (and yes, people do). You could store a boat. You could fit the contents of a very, very large house.
• Unless you’re storing vehicles or you’re running a business out of it, you probably don’t need this much space. But if you do, wow, is it convenient.

A couple of cheat codes from the pros (that’s us):

• DISASSEMBLE EVERYTHING: That bed frame? It’s 90% air. Take it apart. That table? Legs off. You will triple your space. I’m not kidding.
• Stack to the ceiling: You’re paying for all that vertical air, so use it. Heavy stuff on the bottom, light stuff on top. Build a stable fortress of your belongings.
• Leave a walkway: Don’t jam-pack it from wall to wall. If you leave a little snake path down the middle, you can actually get to the stuff in the back without a full-scale archaeological dig next time you need your ski jacket.

Here’s the real secret:

This is what we do all day, every day at B&D Self Storage. We’re not just here to take your money and hand you a lock. We want you to get the right space.

The best thing you can do is show us that video you took on your phone. Walk us through it. “I’ve got this couch, this king-size bed, about twenty boxes…” We’ll squint our eyes, look at our unit map, and point you to the perfect spot. We’ve done it a thousand times. It’s what we’re here for.

Don’t overthink it. Just don’t guess. Come talk to us. Let’s get you the right size, so you can stop worrying about your stuff and get on with your life.