The best way to find out would be to call five moving companies and tell them how much stuff you’ll be moving. They will help you pick a storage unit that will be best for your move.
You don’t need to actually use those moving companies. Their quote will be strictly over the phone, or you can send them an email with your list of the items you want to move. They will provide information about which storage unit you will need for your move.
The second option:
You can call a storage company and tell them the number of items that you have. They will tell you the approximate number of moving units that you will need. This option will not always be available since storage representatives are not required to provide that information over the phone. But if you call around 5 to 10 different places, and eventually, storage company representatives will be able to provide you with the number of storage unit spaces needed over the phone. If representatives have time, they should be able to help you.
The third option is to calculate it yourself
You’ll need to calculate the cubic feet of what you will be moving
Please see the chat below
- Van – 350 cubic ft
- Truck 12 ft – 400 cubic ft
- Truck 16 ft 650 cubic ft
- Truck 20 ft 900-1200 cubic ft
- Truck 26ft 1500-1700 cubic ft
Storage units in cubic ft
- 5 by 5 – 200 cubic ft
- 5 by 10 – 400 cubic ft
- 5 by 15 – 600 cubic ft
- 10 by 10 – 800 cubic ft
- 10 by 15 – 900 cubic ft
- 10 by 20 – 1500 cubic ft
- 10 by 30 – 2000 cubic ft
Please note, that if you have any bulky stuff that you cannot stack on top, it will be an additional trip.
You might not stack bulky items on top of each other very well, so you’ll probably have to take two trips. But if you’re moving justice square stuff like boxes and furniture; you might be able to do that and fill the truck all the way up to the top.
In the chart above, we had absolutely full-capacity or box body trucks.
We’ve seen this situation often in small bedroom apartments. You have a lot of stuff in the basement and attic. Are you moving in with somebody else? It’s vital to count the amount of furniture that you need to move. You can use a calculator. In general, this is what you can fit in the storage units below:
- Studio apartments with one room or less will need a 5×5 or 5×8 storage unit
- Small or large one-bedroom apartments will need a 10×10 storage unit.
- Small 2 bedroom apartment, or large 2 bedroom apartment, will need 10×15 or 10×20 storage units.
- Three bedroom or four-bedroom houses will require a visual estimate. But in general, you’ll probably need the 10 x 25 storage unit or 10 by 30.
A lot of houses have bulky items that will not be stable. That’s why you’ll usually need extra moving space in storage. Often, items are not neatly stackable inside storage units and require extra space.
