We are asked this often: how to calculate storage space when renting at a storage facility?  This article should help, but if you have more questions you can call us at (817) 439-1380.  We are Blue Mound 287 Self Storage, and we know the storage business inside and out.

How to calculate storage space for your needs.

The first thing to understand is that you are not renting square footage in a storage unit but rather cubic footage.  Put another way, a storage unit is a certain number of feet wide by a certain number of feet long BY a certain number of feet high.  It is the height that most people ignore when calculating space needed, and it is an important computation to remember, especially if you are storing items which can be stacked.  A 5×5 storage unit will only be able to store a couple pieces of furniture if that furniture is placed on the floor of the unit side by side, but if the furniture is stacked, you probably can store ten to fifteen pieces in that same space.

That is why we suggest that a 5×5 unit can handle one full room of a house if packed intelligently, taking advantage of the vertical space available.  You can then plan accordingly with other rooms.  A 10×10 unit will be able to handle three or four rooms of a house quite easily, and a 10×20 unit will handle a six-bedroom home no sweat.  It’s all in that vertical space and how you stack your items.  Remember, smart stacking will save you money.

If, however, you are storing items which cannot be stacked, the size of the storage unit you need will increase in size dramatically.  In that case you will have to measure each item you are storing and plan on floor space alone to meet your storage needs.  Some things are obvious. A six-foot couch will not fit in a 5×5 storage unit.  However, three five-foot couches will if they are all slightly less than two feet wide.

What other things to consider with storage units.

Other than the size you will need, you also need to consider how easy the access is to that storage unit, especially if that storage unit is inside where there are many storage units. Wide aisles are a must; without them it is difficult to move items around when it comes time to load or unload.

And then of course you will have to consider costs, security, climate controlled storage or not, and location.  All of these things are important to a certain degree depending on your needs and budget.

Our best advice when choosing a self storage facility: shop around for storage unit sizes which meet your needs.  Make a list of items you want, and look for the best deal within your budget.  The nice thing about storage facilities in major cities: there are a lot of them!  You shouldn’t have any problem finding one which meets your needs.

Call us if you have questions.  Again, we are Blue Mound 287 Self Storage, serving the Greater Fort Worth area.  If there’s one thing we know for sure it is storage!