{"id":123085,"date":"2022-10-12T22:52:51","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T05:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?p=123085"},"modified":"2026-04-17T03:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T10:50:13","slug":"how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Organize a 5\u2019x5\u2019 Storage Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Are you tired of looking at possessions that get used rarely, like that carpet-cleaning machine or those seasonal lawn chairs and skis? A small self storage unit may be just what you need, and you can get one at an affordable price. If this solution is for you, spare yourself future headaches and do some preplanning. Think how to organize your storage space, so when you arrive with your items you can get the job done right.<\/p>\n<h1>Decide How Much Will Fit In<\/h1>\n<p>If you\u2019re considering renting a 5\u2019x5\u2019 storage unit, you need to figure out what you can store there. The floor space is 25 square feet and the volume is 200 cubic feet when you factor in an eight-foot-high ceiling, which is typical at most storage facilities. Scratch items wider than five feet off your list unless they can be disassembled. Once you\u2019ve gathered your items together, begin to organize them before you even pack your first box.<\/p>\n<h1>Organize Step by Step<\/h1>\n<p>Storage experts recommend taking several important steps before moving day. If you take the time to plan your storage space, you will be able to fit more stuff in \u2014 and, just as important, be able to find things when you need them. Let\u2019s break down some often-recommended advice from storage professionals:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a list of all the items you are storing. How detailed you want to get is up to you. Some people itemize each box and number it to match their list.<\/li>\n<li>Before packing, you may even want to take photos of your items.<\/li>\n<li>Get boxes of the same size for easy stacking.<\/li>\n<li>Consider using bins for easy access.<\/li>\n<li>Fill each box to capacity. Clothing is best stored rolled up to maximize your space.<\/li>\n<li>Label each box on its visible side, where you can see it when you visit your storage unit.<\/li>\n<li>Make use of empty spaces \u2014 if you\u2019re storing suitcases, place items inside. Use bookshelves and dresser drawers for added storage space.<\/li>\n<li>Pack similar items together and resist throwing in the odd thing at the last minute \u2014 it could cause a stressful scavenger hunt down the road.<\/li>\n<li>Disassemble large items.<\/li>\n<li>Cover and protect any freestanding items that may get scratched or damaged.<\/li>\n<li>Map out the space beforehand. Plan to put larger, heavier items on the floor and stack smaller items as high as you reasonably can.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h1>It\u2019s Moving Day<\/h1>\n<p>You\u2019ve now got the keys to your storage unit and it\u2019s time to put everything to bed until you need it at some point later. Use the plan you\u2019ve created as a guide and work back to front, floor to ceiling. As you stack boxes, place heavier ones in the unit first, followed by lighter ones. Place boxes containing items you will need more frequently toward the front of the unit. Make use of those dead spaces under desks and chairs but make sure you\u2019ve left enough room to access what you need down the road. Try to stack high, but make sure everything is sturdy so it won\u2019t come tumbling down in a heap when you\u2019re trying to find something later.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_124025\" style=\"width: 706px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-124025\" class=\"size-full wp-image-124025\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Moving-House-with-Wrapped-Furniture.jpg\" alt=\"Moving House with Wrapped Furniture\" width=\"696\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Moving-House-with-Wrapped-Furniture.jpg 888w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Moving-House-with-Wrapped-Furniture.jpg?resize=500,281 500w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Moving-House-with-Wrapped-Furniture.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Moving-House-with-Wrapped-Furniture.jpg?resize=150,84 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-124025\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moving House with Wrapped Furniture<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A 5\u2019x5\u2019 storage unit is about the size of a large closet, so space could be tight. To maximize the space even more, consider using shelves for smaller items and putting things such as bicycles and folding chairs on racks. Throughout your storage rental, remember to take care when adding or removing items from your unit. Restack boxes neatly, reseal or shut them tight, and keep the unit tidy to avoid having to rummage around on your next visit. Remember: \u201cA place for everything and everything in its place!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A 5\u2019x5\u2019 storage unit might be sufficient for your storage needs if you organize it well. And it doesn\u2019t need to be expensive \u2014 for instance, the average monthly costs start at $16 for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/storage-units\/us\/co\/denver\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denver storage unit<\/a> and $20 for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/storage-units\/us\/ok\/oklahoma-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oklahoma City storage unit<\/a>. In Florida, street rates start at $39 for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/storage-units\/us\/fl\/tallahassee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tallahassee storage unit<\/a>, at $22 for an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/storage-units\/us\/fl\/orlando\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Orlando storage unit<\/a> and at $19 for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/storage-units\/us\/fl\/miami\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Miami storage unit<\/a>. Happy storing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you tired of looking at possessions that get used rarely, like that carpet-cleaning machine or those seasonal lawn chairs and skis? A small self storage unit may be just what you need, and you can get one at an affordable price. If this solution is for you, spare yourself future headaches and do some&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":124024,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25090],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-self-storage","gallery-content-unit"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v24.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Maximize your storage unit organization!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization &amp; fit all your things into it efficiently &amp; safely!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Organize a 5\u2019x5\u2019 Storage Unit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization &amp; fit all your things into it efficiently &amp; safely!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RentCafe rental blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-10-13T05:52:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-17T10:50:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Francis Chantree\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Francis Chantree\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/\",\"name\":\"Renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Maximize your storage unit organization!\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-10-13T05:52:51+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-17T10:50:13+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9457770c0c17865988a091bf68f2b541\"},\"description\":\"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization & fit all your things into it efficiently & safely!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg\",\"width\":1400,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Cart with Cardboard Boxes in Self Storage Facility Empty Hall\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How to Organize a 5\u2019x5\u2019 Storage Unit\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"RentCafe rental blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9457770c0c17865988a091bf68f2b541\",\"name\":\"Francis Chantree\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/01\/IMG_5357-square.jpg?w=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/01\/IMG_5357-square.jpg?w=96\",\"caption\":\"Francis Chantree\"},\"description\":\"Francis Chantree is a writer and editor for Yardi, focusing on real estate and lifestyle content. He is a former programmer and researcher who exchanged computer language for his greatest passion, human language! When not writing and proofreading text, he can be found gardening and reading.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/author\/francis-chantree\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Maximize your storage unit organization!","description":"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization & fit all your things into it efficiently & safely!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Organize a 5\u2019x5\u2019 Storage Unit","og_description":"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization & fit all your things into it efficiently & safely!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/","og_site_name":"RentCafe rental blog","article_published_time":"2022-10-13T05:52:51+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-17T10:50:13+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1400,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Francis Chantree","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Francis Chantree","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/","name":"Renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Maximize your storage unit organization!","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg","datePublished":"2022-10-13T05:52:51+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-17T10:50:13+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9457770c0c17865988a091bf68f2b541"},"description":"Are you renting a 5 x 5 storage unit? Use our guide to maximize storage unit organization & fit all your things into it efficiently & safely!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg","width":1400,"height":600,"caption":"Cart with Cardboard Boxes in Self Storage Facility Empty Hall"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/self-storage\/how-to-organize-a-5x5-storage-unit\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How to Organize a 5\u2019x5\u2019 Storage Unit"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/","name":"RentCafe rental blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9457770c0c17865988a091bf68f2b541","name":"Francis Chantree","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/01\/IMG_5357-square.jpg?w=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2023\/01\/IMG_5357-square.jpg?w=96","caption":"Francis Chantree"},"description":"Francis Chantree is a writer and editor for Yardi, focusing on real estate and lifestyle content. He is a former programmer and researcher who exchanged computer language for his greatest passion, human language! When not writing and proofreading text, he can be found gardening and reading.","url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/author\/francis-chantree\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2022\/10\/Cart-with-Cardboard-Boxes-in-Self-Storage-Facility-Empty-Hall.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123085"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124026,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123085\/revisions\/124026"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}