Picking the right size of storage unit can feel like a guessing game, but it's much simpler than you might think. Most facilities offer a few standard sizes, so you're not lost in a sea of options. Whether you're stashing a few boxes or the contents of an entire house, there’s a unit that fits.
Decoding the Different Sizes of Storage Units
The first step to making a confident choice is getting your head around the dimensions. Here in the UK, storage units are measured in square feet (sq ft), which tells you the floor space you have to play with. But let's be honest, a number on its own doesn't really help you picture what you can actually fit inside.
That's why it's so much easier to compare these sizes to spaces you already know. Think of a small 25 sq ft unit as roughly the size of a large garden shed. It’s perfect for a student needing to store their things over the summer holidays, or for anyone clearing out a studio flat.
Visualising Common Unit Sizes
As the units get bigger, so does their capacity for those larger, awkward items. A mid-range 75 sq ft unit is a popular choice for anyone moving out of a two-bedroom flat because it's about the size of a large Luton van. You can comfortably fit sofas, beds, and kitchen appliances in there.
If you’re dealing with a major life event, like moving from a three-bedroom house or needing space for business stock, a large unit is what you need. A 150 sq ft unit gives you a space similar to a standard single-car garage, offering plenty of room for bulky furniture, stacks of boxes, and big equipment.
The real secret to getting the most out of your unit is to think vertically. Most units have ceilings around 8 feet high, which is a huge advantage. You can stack boxes and items to really maximise the space you're paying for.
It's a simple trick, but one that’s often overlooked. By planning your stacking strategy, you can often fit far more than you first thought, which might even mean you can rent a smaller, cheaper unit.
Quick Guide to Common Storage Unit Sizes
To help you get a better feel for what size might be right for you, here’s a quick rundown of the most common options and what they can typically hold.
| Unit Size (sq ft) | Typical Dimensions (ft) | Equivalent To | What It Can Hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 sq ft | 5 x 5 | Large Garden Shed | Boxes, small furniture, contents of a studio flat |
| 50 sq ft | 5 x 10 | Large Walk-in Wardrobe | Contents of a one-bedroom flat |
| 75 sq ft | 7.5 x 10 | Luton Van | Contents of a two-bedroom flat or small house |
| 100 sq ft | 10 x 10 | Half a Single Garage | Furnishings from a two-bedroom house |
| 150 sq ft | 10 x 15 | Standard Single Garage | Contents of a three-bedroom house or business stock |
This table should give you a solid starting point for figuring out what you need. Remember to think about not just what you have now, but also if you might need a little extra room down the line.
Small Storage Units: What Can You Fit Inside?
When you don’t need to store the contents of an entire house, a small storage unit is the perfect, cost-effective solution. These compact spaces are surprisingly versatile and ideal for everything from a seasonal clear-out to bridging the gap between university terms. Getting to grips with the different small sizes helps you pay only for what you truly need.
Small storage units typically range from a compact 10 sq ft locker up to a more generous 35 sq ft room. They’re the go-to choice for students, renters in small flats, or anyone looking to reclaim a single room and create a bit of breathing space at home. Let’s break down what you can realistically fit inside each of these popular options.
The 10 sq ft to 15 sq ft Storage Locker
Picture a tall telephone box or a small cloakroom, and you’ve got a good idea of a 10 sq ft or 15 sq ft unit. It’s a vertical space designed for stacking boxes and stashing a handful of personal belongings, which makes it an incredibly popular and budget-friendly choice for specific, short-term needs.
These lockers are perfectly suited for:
- Student Storage: Storing a few large boxes of books, bedding, a mini-fridge, and a suitcase over the summer holidays.
- Seasonal Switch-Out: Packing away bulky winter coats, boots, and duvets to free up wardrobe space in the summer.
- Hobbyist Gear: Keeping sports equipment like golf clubs, a folded bicycle, or camping gear safe and out of the way.
The key to getting the most out of this space is to think upwards. With sturdy, stackable boxes, you can easily fit more than you might expect.
The 25 sq ft Storage Unit
A 25 sq ft unit is one of the most common small storage sizes out there, and for good reason. It offers a significant step up from a locker, giving you an area roughly the size of a large garden shed or a small box room. This is where you can start thinking about storing small pieces of furniture alongside your boxes.
This size is an excellent fit if you are:
- Decluttering a Single Room: Storing the contents of a cluttered spare room or home office, including a small desk, chair, and several boxes of files or belongings.
- Moving from a Studio Flat: Comfortably fitting a double mattress (stood on its side), a small sofa, a chest of drawers, and around 10-15 boxes.
- Storing Business Archives: Organising dozens of archive boxes while leaving enough room to get to them when needed.
When packing a 25 sq ft unit, always place larger, heavier items at the back. Try to create a narrow walkway if you think you’ll need to retrieve things later—this simple bit of organisation will save you a lot of hassle.
The 35 sq ft Storage Unit
The largest of the small-scale options, a 35 sq ft unit provides a substantial amount of space, comparable to half of a standard single garage. This size offers the flexibility to store bulkier items or the contents of a small one-bedroom flat without having to play a complicated game of Tetris.
A 35 sq ft space is the perfect choice for:
- Downsizing or Renovating: Holding essential furniture from a one-bedroom flat—like a sofa, bed, wardrobe, and small dining table—while you manage a move or home improvement project.
- Storing Christmas Decorations: If your collection of festive lights, trees, and ornaments has outgrown the loft, this unit can store it all with room to spare.
- Outdoor and Garden Equipment: Keeping a lawnmower, garden furniture, and barbecue protected from the harsh British winter.
By choosing the right small storage unit, you can ensure your belongings are kept safe and secure without paying for unnecessary space. It’s all about matching the unit to your specific needs.
Medium Storage Units: The Most Versatile Choice
When you move up from the smaller options, you hit the sweet spot of self storage. Medium-sized units, typically ranging from 50 sq ft to 80 sq ft, are the real workhorses of the industry. They nail that perfect balance between having enough room for bulky furniture without being so large that you’re paying for empty space.
It’s this blend of space and value that makes them the go-to choice for some of life's biggest transitions. Whether you're moving house, finally tackling that massive decluttering project, or even running a small business from home, this is often the size that just works.
A Practical Scenario: Moving a Two-Bedroom Flat
Let's put this into perspective. Imagine a family moving out of a two-bedroom flat. They need to store absolutely everything while they wait for their new home to be ready. A 75 sq ft unit is their best bet – think of it as roughly the same size as a large Luton van.
So, how do they pack it? The big, foundational items go in first. The three-seater sofa and two armchairs are slid along the back wall, all carefully wrapped to protect the fabric. Next up, the double bed frames and mattresses are stood up on their long edges against a side wall. It’s a simple trick, but it saves an incredible amount of floor space.
Once the bulky furniture is sorted, everything else can slot into place. The dining table (with its legs removed) and chairs can slide in next to the beds. The washing machine and fridge-freezer fit neatly into the remaining floor space, leaving plenty of room to start stacking boxes. Critically, this method leaves a clear path down the middle, making it easy to get in and out.
Smart Organisation for Medium Spaces
Having the space is one thing, but how you use it is what really counts. A well-organised medium unit means you can grab what you need without having to empty the entire thing. It all comes down to a bit of planning.
- Create an Aisle: Seriously, always leave a walkway from the door to the back. You might feel like you're wasting a bit of space, but you'll be thankful when you need to find that one specific box.
- Use Shelving: Don't just stack boxes. A couple of free-standing shelving units are a game-changer, letting you use the full height of the unit safely. It turns a wobbly tower of cardboard into an accessible library of your belongings.
- Label Everything Clearly: This one’s a no-brainer. Label every box on at least two sides with its contents and which room it belongs to. It’ll make your life so much easier, both in storage and when you eventually unpack.
By thinking vertically and mapping out your layout before you start, a medium storage unit can easily hold the contents of a one- or two-bedroom home. You'll be surprised at how organised and accessible it all feels.
The versatility of these units goes way beyond house moves, though. A small e-commerce business could use a 50 sq ft unit as a mini-warehouse for stock, getting it all out of their spare room. It’s also the perfect size for tradespeople needing to securely store tools and materials, or for a family storing their university-bound child's bedroom contents. This adaptability is exactly why they're so popular.
The UK's self storage market has grown massively to keep up with this demand. By early 2022, there were about 2,050 facilities across the country, run by over 1,000 different brands. That adds up to a whopping 52 million square feet of storage space available to people and businesses, showing just how essential these solutions have become. You can dig deeper into the industry's growth in the 2022 UK industry report. With this much choice, finding the right medium size of storage unit has never been easier.
Large Storage Units For Major Life Events and Businesses
When you’ve got more to store than just a few bits and bobs from the loft, it’s time to think bigger. Large storage units, which typically run from 100 sq ft up to 200 sq ft (or even more), are built for the big stuff: major life events and serious business needs. This is the kind of space you look for when you're moving a large family home or managing a hefty amount of commercial stock.
These units are designed to swallow everything from bulky furniture and appliances to massive archives and pallets of inventory. They’re the definitive answer when sheer space is your main priority, giving you a secure, expansive area to keep your valuable assets organised and out of the way.
Visualising the Space A Garage-Sized Solution
It can be tough to picture what these numbers mean in real life. So, let’s use an everyday comparison. A 150 sq ft unit is about the size of a standard single-car garage here in the UK. Suddenly, the scale makes sense. That’s more than enough room for the entire contents of a 3-4 bedroom house.
Just think about it: sofas, beds, wardrobes, dining tables, fridges, washing machines, and dozens upon dozens of boxes. A large unit can take it all, and you’ll often find you still have room to create aisles so you can actually get to your things without a major excavation project.
Handling a Full House Move
Moving from a large family home is one of the most common reasons people rent a unit this big. A 100 sq ft unit can comfortably handle the contents of a two or three-bedroom house. But if you're moving from a larger property that also has a garage and a shed full of garden tools, stepping up to a 150 sq ft or even a 200 sq ft unit is a smart move.
That extra room isn’t just a luxury; it's a logistical lifesaver. It lets you:
- Create Clear Pathways: You can leave a central walkway to reach items at the back without having to unpack half the unit first.
- Store Items Methodically: Grouping boxes by room makes the unpacking process at your new place infinitely less chaotic.
- Protect Fragile Items: With more space, you can tuck delicate things like mirrors, artwork, and electronics safely away from heavy furniture that could cause damage.
When you're dealing with heavy furniture or pallets of stock, a bit of planning goes a long way. Put the bulkiest items at the back and along the sides. Don't forget to use the vertical space by stacking sturdy, well-packed boxes. This keeps your floor space clear and everything stable.
The Powerhouse for Business and Commercial Needs
Large storage units aren’t just for house moves. They’re a secret weapon for all sorts of businesses. From e-commerce sellers to tradespeople, these spaces offer a flexible and affordable alternative to traditional commercial property. Their generous size opens up a world of possibilities for commercial use.
For businesses looking to grow, a large unit can serve as a mini-warehouse for stock, a secure lock-up for expensive tools and equipment, or even a base of operations. If you're weighing up the options for your company, our guide to business and commercial storage offers a deeper dive into how these spaces can help you expand.
A 200 sq ft unit, for instance, is big enough for an online retailer to set up packing stations right next to their inventory. A builder could easily store their tools, materials, and even a small work van inside a drive-up unit of this size. The uses are endless—document archiving for law firms, holding seasonal stock for retailers, or even a small-scale workshop for an artisan. This versatility is what makes large units such an indispensable tool for modern businesses.
How to Choose the Perfect Storage Unit Size
Picking the right storage unit can feel like a bit of a guessing game, but it doesn't have to be. Get it right, and you're golden. Get it wrong, and you could end up paying for space you don't use or, worse, running out of room with a van full of stuff still on the kerb. A few straightforward steps can turn that guesswork into a confident decision.
First things first: take stock of what you're actually storing. Walk through your home and make a proper list of every single item, from the big chunky furniture down to the last box of books. It’s amazing how this simple exercise helps you visualise just how much stuff you have.
For those awkward, bulky items like sofas, wardrobes, or mattresses, don’t just eyeball it—get the tape measure out. Jotting down the length, width, and height of your biggest pieces gives you a solid idea of the minimum floor space you’ll need to work with.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Sizing Up Your Needs
With your inventory list ready, you can start building a much clearer picture of your space requirements. Just follow this simple checklist to nail down your estimate:
- List Everything: Create that comprehensive list of all items destined for storage. Be thorough—it's often the small, miscellaneous things that sneakily take up the most space.
- Measure Bulky Items: Get the exact dimensions of your largest furniture. This will tell you the absolute minimum floor space you’ll need before you even think about stacking.
- Estimate Your Box Count: Try to get a rough idea of how many boxes you'll need. As a rule of thumb, a typical one-bedroom flat usually fills around 20-30 boxes of various sizes.
- Think About the Future: Are you likely to add more items to the unit down the line? If so, factoring in a little extra "breathing room" now is a very smart move.
This quick visual guide can help you estimate what size you might need based on the general volume of your belongings.
As you can see, what you're storing and how much of it you have are the two biggest factors in choosing the right unit.
Using Online Tools to Your Advantage
To make things even easier, many facilities now offer online tools that give you a pretty precise estimate. These digital helpers are a fantastic way to turn your scribbled inventory list into a concrete size recommendation.
By simply inputting your items, an online calculator can instantly suggest the most suitable unit, taking all the stress out of the decision. It’s like having an expert by your side without leaving the house.
If you fancy giving one a go, our handy storage calculator can provide a personalised recommendation in just a few minutes. It's especially useful in the UK's expanding self-storage market. Valued at around £1 billion in 2024, the market is set to grow as more people rent and move, creating a need for flexible solutions.
Choosing Your Unit Size: Bigger vs Smaller
So, you might find yourself torn between two sizes. Is it better to save a few quid with a unit that’s a snug fit, or should you pay a little extra for more wiggle room? Both have their pros and cons.
Here's a quick comparison to help you weigh it up.
Choosing Your Unit Size Bigger vs Smaller
| Consideration | Opting for a Slightly Larger Unit | Opting for a Snug Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Higher monthly rental fee. | More budget-friendly initial cost. |
| Accessibility | Much easier to create aisles and get to items at the back. | Can be very difficult to retrieve items without unpacking others. |
| Flexibility | Plenty of room to add more belongings in the future. | No space for additions; you might need to upgrade later. |
| Air Circulation | Better airflow around your items, reducing the risk of damp. | Tightly packed items can trap moisture and cause problems. |
| Ease of Packing | Less pressure to be a Tetris champion; more room for error. | Requires careful, strategic packing to make everything fit. |
In the end, choosing a slightly larger unit often provides a much better long-term experience. The convenience, flexibility, and peace of mind it offers can be well worth that small extra cost each month.
Beyond Square Feet: What Else Should You Consider?
Picking the right size is a great start, but square footage is only one piece of the puzzle. To find a storage space that genuinely works for you, there are a few other crucial factors to weigh up. Overlooking them can lead to headaches down the line or, worse, damage to your belongings.
One of the most common things people forget is unit height. The ceilings in most standard units are about eight feet high, giving you a huge amount of vertical space to play with. Not using it is like paying for a full loaf of bread and only eating the bottom half. With some sturdy boxes and clever stacking, you can drastically increase how much a unit can actually hold.
Key Features To Look Out For
Beyond the basic dimensions, it’s the little details and features that make a storage unit the right fit for your stuff. Thinking about these things now will save you a world of trouble later.
- Access Type: Is the unit on the ground floor, or will you need to use a lift? Drive-up units are a lifesaver for shifting heavy furniture directly from your van, but you might find that upper-level units are a bit easier on the wallet.
- Climate Control: If you’re storing anything sensitive—think wooden furniture, electronics, artwork, or important paperwork—a climate-controlled unit is a must. It keeps the temperature and humidity steady, protecting your valuables from the classic British damp and cold.
- Security: Always have a good look at the facility’s security setup. You’ll want to see things like 24/7 CCTV, secure keypad entry, and decent lighting to be sure your belongings are properly protected.
Taking these extra factors into account shifts your thinking from just finding space to finding the right space. It’s all about creating a storage environment that suits your needs and keeps your possessions safe.
How Technology is Changing the Game
The UK self-storage industry is booming, and technology is playing a massive part in its growth. As of 2024, the total amount of storage space available hit an incredible 64.3 million square feet—that’s a 7.2% jump from the year before.
This expansion is being powered by some pretty smart tech. In fact, 68% of storage businesses are now using AI to make their operations run smoother. For customers, this means you get the convenience of online booking, automated access, and slick management, often with a surprisingly small team of just 2.6 staff per store. You can read more about it in the latest UK self storage report.
For businesses, making the most of all that vertical space is a game-changer. Our article on 5 essential tips for maximising business storage space has some fantastic advice on that front.
Your Storage Size Questions Answered
Picking the right self storage unit can bring up a few questions, especially when you're trying to get the size just right. To help you choose with confidence, we’ve put together answers to some of the most common queries we hear.
Think of this as the final piece of the puzzle, clearing up any last-minute doubts so you have all the information you need.
What Is the Most Popular Size of Storage Unit in the UK?
While it always depends on the location, we find that medium-sized units are consistently the most popular choice. Units around 50 to 75 square feet really hit that sweet spot, offering a great balance between space and cost. They're typically perfect for storing the contents of a one or two-bedroom flat.
Their popularity makes sense. They're big enough to handle bulky furniture like sofas and beds, but you're not paying for a huge, garage-sized space you don't need. This makes them ideal for common situations like moving house or tackling a major decluttering project.
Should I Choose a Unit That Is Exactly the Size I Need?
It’s tempting to pick a unit that fits your belongings like a glove, but we always recommend going slightly larger than your inventory list suggests. That little bit of extra space, or 'breathing room' as we call it, makes a huge difference.
A slightly larger unit lets you create a small aisle, so you can actually get to the boxes at the back without unpacking everything first. It also improves air circulation, which is better for your belongings, and gives you the flexibility to add a few more things later. A snug fit might seem cheaper upfront, but the practicality of a bigger unit often creates a much better storage experience.
How Much Does the Size of a Storage Unit Affect the Price?
Size is definitely the biggest factor when it comes to the rental price. It’s pretty straightforward: prices scale directly with the square footage. A 100 sq ft unit will generally cost about twice as much as a 50 sq ft unit at the same facility.
Of course, a few other things can influence the final price. These include:
- Location: Units in city centres naturally cost more than those in quieter, suburban areas.
- Floor Level: A ground-floor unit with drive-up access is incredibly convenient, so it often comes at a premium.
- Special Features: If you need extras like climate control to protect sensitive items, that will add to the monthly cost.
It's always a good idea to get quotes for a couple of different sizes. This lets you see the price difference for yourself and weigh up whether the cost of that extra space is worth the added convenience and accessibility.
Ready to find the perfect storage solution on The Wirral? At Shield Self Storage, we offer a wide range of unit sizes with transparent pricing and top-notch security. Get a fast, no-obligation quote and enjoy your first month for just £1. Find your ideal storage unit today!
