Want to get your home renovation done without the chaos?
Did you know? Nearly 4 in 10 homeowners admit to exceeding their budget due to unexpected expenses. Surprisingly, failing to plan for storage is one of the easiest things to avoid!
The good news?
Choosing the correct storage unit size for your home project should be simple. Follow this handy storage unit size guide for home projects and you’ll know exactly what you need…prior to moving furniture out of your home.
Here’s how to do it…
What’s inside:
- Why Storage Units Matter During Renovations
- How to Pick the Right Size Storage Unit
- Storage Unit Sizes Broken Down
- The Best Storage Unit Sizes by Project Type
- Tips for Packing Your Unit Right
Why Storage Units Matter During Renovations
Renovations are dirty, stressful and never go exactly to schedule. In fact, more than 3 out of 4 homeowners overspent on their last renovation project — and delays are incredibly common too. When either happens, you need a safe place for your furniture to stay.
It’s inevitable that items will get damaged if you leave them in your home during a renovation. Paint spills, dust, dropped screws, broken belongings… it can happen quickly. A storage unit allows you to store everything you own and keep your contractors focused on their work.
Selecting an appropriately sized unit is more important than most people realize. Too small and you will have to make several trips or overstuff it, which can be dangerous. Too big and you’re paying for wasted space.
Get it right the first time with a proper 10×25 storage unit or another size that matches the exact scope of the home project — and the process becomes a whole lot smoother.
How to Pick the Right Size Storage Unit
Before you rent anything take inventory. Walk through each room that is being refreshed and make a list of what needs to go.
- Furniture pieces (sofas, beds, wardrobes, dining tables)
- Appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, microwaves)
- Boxes and loose items (clothes, books, kitchenware)
- Any seasonal or fragile items
Once you have that list, picking the right size storage unit is easy. Here’s a general rule: Estimate the square footage of the rooms you’re packing up and rent a unit that’s that size.
Remember to consider your timeline as well. The average tenant rents a storage unit for about 14 months — almost half of all tenants rent a unit for longer than one year. If you plan on doing a whole house renovation, it’s almost always cheaper to rent a little more space than you need and keep it for a few months rather than having to move items to a larger unit in the middle of your project.
Storage Unit Sizes Broken Down
Storage Units 101: Sizes Explained
5×5 (25 sq ft)
The petite size. This feels like your spacious walk-in closet. It’s great for holding several boxes, small pieces of furniture, or decluttering one room when painting/updating.
Best for: Bathroom declutter, small bedroom repaint, clearing one room
5×10 (50 sq ft)
Oh, about the size of a big garden shed. Could fit everything in a studio apartment or one bedroom. Mattress set, small sofa, couple bookshelves and lots of boxes.
Best for: One-room renovations, small home office gut-outs
10×10 (100 sq ft)
This is the Goldilocks zone for the average homeowner. It’s by far the most common size unit — about the size of an average bedroom or half-garage. You can comfortably fit furniture from two or three rooms here.
Best for: Kitchen renovations, two-bedroom clearances, bathroom remodels
10×15 (150 sq ft)
When moving or storing 3-4 rooms of furniture, boxes, large appliances and awkwardly shaped items. Choose Self-Storage for your next medium-sized project.
Best for: Multi-room renovations, first floor clearances
10×20 (200 sq ft)
Comparable to one car garage sized. Holds belongings from a four/five bedroom home. Including big appliances like refrigerators couches and dining room sets.
Best for: Whole floor renovations, large kitchen and living room overhauls
10×25 (250 sq ft)
The largest standard size available at most sites. This is right around double garage space. Perfect for anyone looking to do an entire home renovation or multiple room clear out.
Best for: Full home renovations, whole-house declutters, multi-room staged projects
The Best Storage Unit Sizes by Project Type
Selecting your unit depending on your project simplifies things. Here’s a quick guide:
|
Renovation Type |
Recommended Unit Size |
|
Bathroom remodel |
5×5 or 5×10 |
|
Single bedroom refresh |
5×10 |
|
Kitchen gut renovation |
10×10 or 10×15 |
|
Living room + dining room |
10×15 |
|
Full ground floor |
10×20 |
|
Whole-home renovation |
10×25 |
Take a kitchen remodel, for instance. You have to empty out appliances, cabinets, and all of the miscellaneous items that collect over years. That’s 10×10 or larger by itself. Full house jobs — flooring, walls, multiple rooms simultaneously — will require a 10×20 or 10×25 at minimum.
Tips for Packing Your Unit Right
Size isn’t everything. Packing efficiently improves the experience considerably.
- Take everything apart that you can. Frames for beds, bookshelves and dining tables can be condensed greatly when taken apart. Wrap each piece and be sure to label them.
- Stack vertically. Cabinets have height — use it. Stack boxes on furniture and place heavier boxes on the bottom.
- Make a path. Leave an aisle down the center of the unit so things at the back will be reachable. Renovation schedules change and you will need access.
- Secure your breakables. Blankets, bubble wrap and sturdy boxes can be the difference between finding everything intact when you get home or digging through broken ruins.
- Label EVERYTHING. It will save you hours when you renovate and have to unpack when it’s complete.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the correct storage unit can be one of the simplest ways to make your home renovation project stress-free and keep your items secure. It’s easy – just align your project size with a unit size, plan your packing strategy ahead of time, and consider your project timeline when reserving.
5×5 for redoing one bathroom. 10×10 for redoing kitchen. 10×25 for gutting an entire house.
Get this right and the renovation becomes a whole lot smoother from day one.