The staff here at Storage Solutions get a lot of phone calls. But because we post our prices and sizes on our website, along with a lot of other FAQs, typically, people are calling us to help them answer a very important question – what size storage unit do I need?
Why is this such an important question, and one that we've dedicated an entire blog post to? Because at Storage Solutions, we feel it's important that our customers rent only the space they need (for the length of time they need), and that they feel they are getting value and not wasting money.
This is why we're always willing to help our customers rent what they need, even if this means moving to a small unit, or a much larger unit. This is one of the things that makes us different from other self-storage facilities, and why our customers really like renting from us. We're genuinely committed to helping them find the right-sized storage unit for their belongings at the start and we offer customer's flexibility as their needs change.
The truth is that this is a tricky question to answer.
We like to work through some of the typical questions to help match our customers with the size they need. Many websites will give you a storage unit size estimator, but because no one’s couch is the same size, these estimators can only be so helpful.
Self-storage size guides can helpful, and we do include one on our self-storage sizes & prices page. Given our 20+ years' experience in the self-storage industry, we have lots of insight into helping customers figure out what size storage unit they need. So, in addition to our self-storage size guide, here are 5 things to keep in mind when looking at what you need to store, and what size of self-storage unit you will need:
This might seem obvious, but most people have not fully thought through what they are storing. Take a moment and think about what you are planning to store:
We recommend that you make an inventory list, and then assume that you will probably store a few extra boxes. A buffer is always a good thing to have.
Storage Solutions rents month-to-month, so there’s no long-term commitment, but it’s good for the customer themselves to determine if they are keeping the unit for a while, or a little while. If you know you’re storing for a while, you might want to budget some extra space, because you’ll add to your contents as time goes on. If you know this is just temporary and you’re storing things because, say, your homebuilder didn’t hit a milestone, then you probably don’t need to budget the extra space.
Even when we plan out units, we put Scotch tape on the floor so we can see how big the unit feels. You might want to measure out 10x10 on your living room floor and see how much fits in there. We have found that people tend to underestimate how much stuff they have. So, people assume a 5x10 will suit their needs, and then when they show up at their unit, they’re a little shocked at how many boxes they brought along with them!
One way to manage your unit is to ask us if we have availability in the size up or down. That way, if you get to your unit and decide you really needed a different size, you don’t have to be concerned that you can’t move to that different size. We recommend customers size up if they don’t know their specific size. The larger sized units tend to rent much faster, and it’s nice to have some extra space for a walkway in a unit.
Most self-storage facilities will have 5x5, 5x10, 10x10, and 10x20 units. But lots of facilities also have “odd” sizes, or their outdoor, drive-up units are a different size (like ours, which are 8x20 sized units). The dimensions of the unit will also be relevant to you, depending on what you are storing. For example, have a lot of boxes? Well, you might want to consider a long, but skinny, unit so you have a walkway on the side. Or, if you have bulky items, like big couches, you might want more of a square unit, like a 10x10, so you can fit boxes around the bulky items.
At Storage Solutions, we’ve made the self-storage rental process simple.
Part of this has been creating tour videos of our Milton Self-Storage or Woodstock self-storage facilities. This is so you don’t have to drive to us to see what sizes we have.
Check out our YouTube channel for our videos, which help you also see our facility, and the dimensions of the storage units for rent.
If you want to figure out the size of unit you will need, we are happy to help. Despite offering sizing tools and videos, sometimes it helps to talk to someone about all the stuff you have (see the inventory note above) so you can start to visualize how it will fit. Give us a call or send us a text at 905-854-1008 or email us at info@storagesolutionsontario.com. Once you know your size, we can help you rent, or you can rent 24/7 online through our website for immediate access.
And don’t forget to follow us on social media. Our Instagram page is pretty awesome and hilarious (not to brag or anything). We’re just as entertaining and helpful on Facebook too, in case you're wondering.
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
