Storage Unit Sizes: Pick the Right One Every Time (2026)

So you need a storage unit. Welcome to my world. I’m Jim. I’ve owned New Burton Storage for about twelve years now. Before that, I managed a bigger place over on the west side. I’ve seen it all.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: most people screw this up. They either rent a huge unit that’s half empty (and waste a ton of money) or they get one so small they end up having a meltdown in the parking lot when their couch won’t fit.

Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to you.

First, Stop What You’re Doing and Do This

Go look at your stuff. I mean really look at it. Not just a quick glance. Find the three biggest things you’re storing. Is it your California King mattress? That huge sectional couch? The big ass dining room table?

Now, here’s my professional advice: stop thinking about floor space and start thinking about air. You’re paying for all the air in that unit. Your job is to fill it, from the concrete floor to the ceiling tiles.

That means you stack. Put the heavy, solid stuff on the bottom – your dressers, your file cabinets, that solid wood desk. Then build your box tower on top. Get boxes that are all the same size if you can. It makes stacking way less of a nightmare.

Let’s Talk About What These Sizes Actually Mean

Forget the numbers for a minute. Let me give you the real picture.

The 5×5 Unit (The “Stop Laughing, It’s Bigger Than You Think”)

Everyone comes in and thinks this is a joke. It’s not.

• What really fits: Everything from one packed bedroom. I’m talking mattress and box spring (stand them on their side), a tall dresser, a nightstand, and like 15-20 boxes if you stack them right. I’ve seen people fit their entire seasonal rotation in here – Christmas stuff goes in, summer patio furniture comes out.
• Get this one if: You’re cleaning out one room, you’re a student storing dorm stuff, or your own closets are bursting.

The 5×10 Unit (The “Why Is This Everyone’s Favorite?”)

This is, no joke, about 60% of what we rent. There’s a reason.

• What really fits: The guts of a studio apartment. Seriously. Your fridge, washer/dryer, queen bed, small sofa, TV stand, and a mountain of boxes. You can walk in and not feel like the walls are closing in.
• Get this one if: You’re between apartments, your kitchen is being gutted, or you’ve got a small business’s worth of stuff to store.

The 10×10 Unit (The “Oh, This Actually Feels Like a Room”)

This is where it starts to feel serious.

• What really fits: Everything from a one or two-bedroom apartment. You can put a king bed in there, multiple dressers, a full living room set, a dining table, and still have space to walk around. You could fit a motorcycle in the middle if you wanted to.
• Get this one if: You’re moving in with someone and have two sets of stuff, or you’re storing everything from a small house during a move.

The Big Boys (10×15 & 10×20)

These are for when life gets complicated.

• What they really fit: A whole 3-4 bedroom house. Everything. All of it. A 10×20 will easily swallow your car and still have room for your grandma’s china cabinet.
• Get this one if: You’re dealing with an estate, storing a vehicle, or you’ve got a business with serious inventory.

Here’s the Truth Nobody Wants to Hear

Your ego is the most expensive thing you’ll put in a storage unit.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone – usually a guy, sorry fellas – look at a 5×5 and say “Nah, my stuff is bigger than that.” He rents a 10×10. On moving day, he’s got one couch and ten boxes sitting in the middle of this huge, empty space. And he’s too proud to downsize, so he just keeps paying for it.

It’s always cheaper to start small and move up than to start big and waste money.

Just Come Talk to Me

Here’s my best advice: come down to New Burton Storage. Don’t book online.

Walk into our empty units. Stand in the 5×5. Then stand in the 10×10. You’ll feel the difference in your bones. It’ll click.

Talk to me or one of my guys. We’re here all day. Show me the pictures on your phone of what you’re storing. Tell me about the weird items – the canoe, the pinball machine, the life-sized statue of Elvis. I’ll give you my honest opinion.

We’re not some giant corporation. This is my business. I’d rather you get the right size and be a happy customer for years than trick you into a unit that’s too big.

Just come see me. We’ll figure it out.