The right unit size for your stuff — and the stored-value math nobody runs
| Unit | Holds | Typical $/mo |
|---|
Storage decisions have two halves — the easy one (what size fits my stuff) and the one nobody runs: is the stuff worth the rent? America's 50,000 storage facilities are monuments to skipping the second question; the average unit holds ~$2,000–4,000 of used goods and bills ~$1,700/yr. This estimator sizes the unit properly and forces the honest value audit.
| Unit | Sq ft | Holds | Typical $/mo (climate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5×5 | 25 | Closet — boxes, seasonal, a bike | $60–90 |
| 5×10 | 50 | One room / studio | $85–130 |
| 10×10 | 100 | 1BR apartment | $120–190 |
| 10×15 | 150 | 2–3BR apartment | $160–250 |
| 10×20 | 200 | 3–4BR house | $210–320 |
Sizing tips: pack to the ceiling (units are 8 ft tall — verticality halves the footprint), mattresses and couches on end, and leave one aisle if you'll ever retrieve mid-term. Climate control (+25–50%) is non-optional for wood furniture, electronics, photos, instruments and anything in a humid state — mold is the storage industry's quiet destroyer.
Legitimate storage: a move gap of known length, a renovation, a deployment, a staged home, an estate in probate. The trap: open-ended storage of furniture-grade goods — at $140/mo, year two of storing a $3,000 household costs more than rebuying the same goods used. The rule that empties units: if the planned term's rent exceeds ~50% of the contents' resale value (be brutal — see the Furniture Value tool), sell now and rebuy later. Sentimental items are exempt from the math — but they fit in a 5×5, not a 10×20.
One size smaller than they rent: ceiling-height packing and honest purging move most 10×15 renters into a 10×10. Facilities upsell 'breathing room' at $50/mo; verticality is free.
For wood, upholstery, electronics, photos, instruments, documents: yes — humidity and temperature swings destroy them within months in garage-style units, especially in the South. For plastic bins, tools and outdoor gear: skip it.
The business model: acquisition pricing then escalation, betting on moving-out friction. Counters: ask for the standard rate up front, negotiate at renewal (they'd rather keep you at the old rate than turn the unit), or re-shop yearly — new-customer pricing is always available somewhere.
Universal bans: anything flammable (propane, gas — drain the mower), perishables, plants, animals, people (yes, it's a problem), and typically anything ILLEGAL to possess. Also unwise: irreplaceable documents and high-value jewelry — banks rent boxes for those.
State lien laws let facilities auction contents after 30-90 days of delinquency (the reality-TV genre is real). Facilities must notify by statute; if hardship hits, negotiate BEFORE the lien clock — partial payments and grace periods exist for the asking.
Different product: containers (PODS-style) win when the stuff will move again (they ship it); fixed units win on price for pure parking. The gap-coverage question during a move usually favors containers; the 'grandma's estate, undecided' question favors the cheap fixed unit — briefly, per the audit.
Yes — every figure computes locally in your browser.
Size to the ceiling-packed truth, price at month-6 rates, and run the value audit before signing anything open-ended. Storage is a fine bridge and a terrible destination — the math above is the difference.