How to Choose the Right Size Storage Rental Unit

Taking advantage of the many storage rental facilities all across the United States has helped millions of families save space in their homes while safely storing important items. Even though renting a storage unit might seem like an easy task to many it can be difficult especially if a person has never rented a storage facility before. Choosing a safe area to store items in is hard enough and the work doesn't stop there. Once a person or family has found a likely storage facility it is sometimes hard to decide what size storage unit should be rented.

The size of a storage rental unit does not seem like an important concern to most people but anyone that has rented a storage unit before will tell you that choosing the wrong sized storage unit can be a disaster. Whether a storage unit is ultimately too large or to small having the wrong size can spell disaster for a person on a tight budget or a person that is in desperate need of more space. Before renting a storage unit it is important that all individuals spend time deciding how much space they will need for the belongings they plan to put into storage.

Most storage rental facilities provide prospective customers with the sizes of their available storage units. The most common storage unit sizes are 10 feet wide by 5 feet deep, 10 feet wide by 10 feet deep, 10 feet wide by 20 feet deep, 15 feed wide by 20 feet deep, and 20 feet wide by 20 feet deep. Many companies will provide you these numbers and even small pictures to give you an idea of what the size looks like but the average person might have a hard time visualizing these sizes. To make things easier keep this in mind, 10x5 is about the size of a walk in closet, 10x10 is usually the size of a very small bedroom, 10x20 is the size of the average one car garage with 15x20 being only slightly larger, and 20x20 is the size of a spacious two car garage.

The monthly rental fee of most storage facilities is determined by the size of the unit being rented. The larger the storage unit the more you will pay. Even though most storage rental facilities are relatively affordable the monthly fee can add up over time. Renting too much space can lead to money being wasted in storage rental fees that are unnecessary. On the other hand, renting too little space can lead to the need to upgrade storage units which often causes additional fees to be charged to your account not to mention added labor and time spent making a second move that could have been easily avoided.

To avoid spending extra time and money take some time to determine how much space your items will need before you sign any contracts. First, isolate all of the items you plan to place in storage. This might be harder for some people than others but it will be worth it in the end. Even if you have to pile boxes onto beds or couches get all of the items you want to store in one location and stack them in approximately the same way you will store them in your storage unit. Get a measuring tape and figure out how much space your items occupy and give a bit of allowance for extra space to remain around and above all of the items you plan to store.

If you feel that your items could be stored more efficiently in different boxes or containers then repack them! Do not wait until after you have rented a storage unit and started moving things into the storage unit to start thinking about more efficient ways to pack. Experiment with plastic containers, larger, and smaller boxes until you get everything packed and arranged in a way that you think will be easy to fit in a smaller storage facility without crowding the unit.

After you have gotten everything you want ready for storage and are prepared to rent your storage unit take a moment and think to yourself will I ever put anything else in storage? If the answer is I don't know, always try to rent a slightly larger storage unit if the space you plan to rent will just barely fit in all of your current belongings. This will save you the inconvenience and expense of renting an additional storage unit or having to move all of your belongings to another storage unit.

On the other hand, if you do not plan to store any additional items to your storage unit and actually plan to be removing items shortly because of a move or any other reason do not be afraid to rent a storage unit that just squeezes everything in. This can be done safely for extremely short term storage because there is a less of a chance that your storage unit will attract vermin in the form of insects and rodents. When your items are in storage for short periods of time there is little need to make all of the preparations necessary for safe, long term, storage.

Lastly, if you are renting on a short term basis and need to store furniture and many belongings before a move into a home do not be afraid to rent the largest unit available. Renting a large space for a short period of time can be convenient and financially sound since you are not planning to keep the storage space for several months or years.