Putting your items in a Fox Den Store-It storage unit is a great idea. Store them for a season, while you are moving, or remodeling, or just because you don’t have the space. We have more than a dozen different size storage units. Some units have electricity, for a bit of an extra charge, and some of the larger units have doors on either side, for easy accessibility.
We can help you estimate the size of unit you might need, but a word of advice – bigger is better. You may “guess” your items will fit in a 5 x 5 unit, but please rely on our experience. Use the handy “size, price and what you might expect to be able to fit in” on our website for some help determining what size you might need and here are some general tips for figuring out what size unit you might need.
First, do an inventory
Exactly what are you going to be storing? Will your items fit neatly in boxes or is some of it odd sizes, like bicycles or floor lamps? Are you storing your items to just leave it for say, six to eight months or are you expecting to be taking things in and out? If you are going to be moving different things in and out, you want to make sure you have room for a walkway.
Think vertical, too. You need to leave some space near the top of the unit for air circulation. But, if you want to utilize that space, put in a shelving unit to help you get more items in.
Measure, measure, measure
If you are storing a car, a motorcycle, an RV – measure it at the widest and tallest area. Don’t rely on the owner’s manual that says your RV is this long and this wide. Is it a jet ski, or something similar, then you have to think about the size of the trailer, too. Another thing you have to think about is the height. Standard height of a storage unit is 8 feet – so if you have an RV with air conditioning units on top, or a conversion van or sprinter that is taller than normal, take that into consideration.
If you are storing a scooter or motorcycle that tilts several inches to the side when the kickstand is down, you have to make allowances for that.
As an aside, we’ve got extra wide aisles at Fox Den Store-It so you don’t have to worry if you need to swing wide to get your camper or RV into a storage unit.
Some general guidelines
The smallest size unit is 5 x 5. This is relatively small. If you stand with your arms outstretched, you’d be able to touch the sides of the unit. You could probably put a double-bed mattress, a dresser and several boxes. Some common uses for a 5 x 5 would be extra items because your apartment is small, seasonal items or lawn and garden and sporting gear.
A 5 x 10 unit is about the size of a standard walk-in closet. You could fix a queen-size mattress, dresser, boxes, perhaps a smaller size love seat and some end tables. People use it for dorm furniture that they aren’t using over the summer, sporting gear like surf boards, snow boards and golf clubs
You could fit items from a standard sized living room in a 10 x 10 unit as well as some bedroom items. So, think couch, table, chairs, bookcase and two full bedroom sets. With these types of units, you should think of storing couches on end and dressers on their sides to get optimum use of space. As we said, think vertical.
A 10 x 15 unit is slightly smaller than a one-car garage and a 10 x 20 unit is the size of a one-car garage. A 10 x 15 unit is about the size of a 20-foot moving truck and a 10 x 20 unit can hold items that would go into a 25-foot moving truck. A 10 x 20 unit is about the size you need to store a classic car since it’s the size of a garage. There will also be a little bit of extra space on the sides so you can open the doors if you will be coming by the occasionally start it.
A 12 x 10 unit is about the size of a standard apartment bedroom and a 12 x 15 is the size of a bedroom in an average home.
A 12 x 20 unit is the size of an extended garage – so you could store a car with boxed items or other items in the front and back. Just remember if you are going to be starting it occasionally, put the rear with the exhaust towards the door.
Campers, RVs, larger boats and trailers, several cars, campers with a trailer can fit in the larger units that are sized at 12 x 30, 12 x 40, 12 x 45 and 12 x 50.
Feel free to drop by a Fox Den Store-It location during business hours to look at the unit sizes and talk to the friendly staff. We want you to have the right storage unit size and be happy they are in a safe and secure facility. Call or e-mail if you have additional questions.