You’re taking a semester away from college, or moving from your tiny apartment into a house, or perhaps downsizing and getting rid of most of your furniture. Whatever your situation, you know you are going to need to use a storage unit. The question is what type of unit do you need? You might be surprised to learn how much furniture you can fit into even a small, inexpensive 5’x5′ self storage unit. Take a look at the bang for your buck you can get in a closet-sized storage unit.

Estimating Your Self Storage Space Needs

A 5’x5′ storage unit is often the smallest size available at self storage facilities and is roughly the size of an average clothes closet (about 25 square feet). With many of these units having 8-foot ceilings, this offers 200 cubic feet of total storage area. This amount of space will probably work if you only have a few small pieces of furniture, perhaps along with several boxes. So, if you have any items that are wider than five feet, you may need to size up.

Get Out the Measuring Tape

If you are unsure about the size or width of your items of furniture, it may be wise to measure them before you decide if a 5’x5′ unit is a good fit for your needs. Remember, taller items may be fine if you are working with an 8-foot ceiling as long as your items are no wider than 5 feet. Let’s take a look at some of the typical items of furniture that potentially will fit into your 5’x5′ storage space:

• Bookcase
• Recliner
• Loveseat
• End table
• Coffee table
• Chest of drawers
• Desk
• Washer and dryer

It’s All About the Packing

If you are unsure whether the amount of furniture you have will fit into a 5’x5′ storage space, you can ask your mover or the storage facility for advice. Many experienced professional movers know how to make the most of a small space, stacking items to take advantage of that full floor-to-ceiling space. However, some furniture items may not stack as easily or may need added protection. For instance, a sturdy recliner could bear the weight of a small table resting on top, and an office chair could be placed on a small desk to conserve space. Be sure to cover items that could get scratched or damaged. Overall, storage experts say a 5’x5′ space can easily hold a small desk and chair and a chest of drawers, along with several boxes. Mattresses should not be stored on their sides, so should not be kept in a 5’x5′ unit, and the same is generally true for couches.

Packed Household Goods for Moving into a New House

Plan Ahead for Your Storage Space Needs

Renters of self storage spaces are often surprised at how much can actually fit into a small unit. A little preplanning will help ensure that some of your furniture won’t be left out in the cold once you get everything to your unit. If you have a hard time visualizing the size of the space, measure your clothes closet at home to see if it’s comparable, visit the storage facility ahead of time or find a picture or video of a 5’x5′ self storage unit online. Then, measure each item that you will be placing in storage. Consider if you will have boxes in addition to your furniture. You could even sketch out on paper how you will store the items. Start with the larger items on the floor and work your way up to the ceiling as you stack them.

If you can use a 5’x5′ space for your storage needs, you could end up saving a lot of money over time. For example, the average monthly costs of the non-climate-controlled versions of such a unit start at $15 for a Las Vegas storage unit and at $30 for a Portland storage unit. In California, a Los Angeles storage unit, a San Francisco storage unit and a Sacramento storage unit cost $15, $41 and $24,  respectively.