What Storage Unit Size is Best for a House Move?
There’s always a gap when you move. Your old lease ends or you’ve sold your previous home, but your new place isn’t ready, and everything you own needs to land somewhere in between while you hole up at a friend or family member’s house.
Or, maybe you just aren’t sure how you’re getting everything into your new home and don’t want to bother with a moving truck, or pay for movers yourself. A moving storage container is the obvious answer to either problem. But what storage unit size is best for a house move?
Go too small and you’re leaving things behind or cramming boxes until they buckle. Go too big and you’re paying for empty air. Getting the size right from the start saves money and frustration on both ends of the move – and it’s easier to figure out than most people think. Our space calculator lets you virtually pack up a storage unit so you can see for sure how much space you need.
Our storage solutions here at WheeKeep help make your move as seamless and stress-free as possible. We can bring the perfect size unit to your home, you’ll pack it at your pace – without the pressure of tight moving schedules or multiple trips. Then we’ll move it to your new home whenever you’re ready to start unpacking. Learn more below!
Benefits of WheeKeep’s Moving Storage Solution
Traditional storage during a move doesn’t make sense. It means renting a unit across town, driving everything there, unloading it yourself, then repeating the whole process in reverse when your new place is ready. WheeKeep cuts all of that out.
We deliver a portable storage container straight to your door. You can pack it yourself at your own pace — or choose professional packing for a faster, more efficient setup. Then, we haul it to our secure, CCTV-monitored warehouse until your new place is ready.
Only you hold the keys to your unit – nobody else has access. We deliver your goods to whatever address you give us when move-in day finally arrives. It’s a simple process from A to Z.
Prefer to keep the unit at your location while you load at your own pace? Our on-site storage container option does exactly that. No more wondering will movers go to a storage unit – the unit shows up at your address with WheeKeep.
However, the whole process starts with sizing. So, what storage unit size is best for a house move?
What Storage Unit Size is Best for a House Move?
The best storage unit size for a house move depends on how much you’re moving, what kind of items you have, and how long you’ll need the space. Here’s how to narrow it down.
Start With What You’re Actually Storing
Not everything in your home needs to go into a storage unit. Most people moving between homes only store the stuff that can’t go directly from the old address to the new one. That might be the full household or just a portion of it.
So, walk through each room and sort your belongings into three groups before deciding what storage unit size is best for a house move:
- Going straight to the new place
- Going into storage temporarily
- Getting donated or tossed
Being selective about what you store helps you choose the right unit size and keep your move organized. People often overestimate how much they need to store because they picture their entire home. But the volume that actually needs a unit is usually way less than expected once you’ve separated out what’s going directly to the new address.
After all, you might be purchasing new furniture for your new home anyways!
Matching Your Home Size to a Unit
There are only three options to choose from at WheeKeep, as we’ve found these accommodate just about every user’s needs. This takes a lot of the uncertainty out of choosing the ideal size. Here’s a general guide for the best storage unit size for a house move:
- Small unit: Works for a studio apartment, a single room’s worth of furniture, or boxes and personal items from a partial move. This usually covers it if most of your stuff is going directly to the new place and you just need a holding spot for overflow.
- Medium unit: Handles most 1-3 bedroom homes – furniture, appliances, and boxes with room to stay organized. This is the most popular size for house moves because it fits a typical household without wasting space.
- Large unit: Built for full household moves from 3+ bedroom homes, especially if you have bulky pieces like couches, dining sets, exercise equipment, or a garage full of tools. Go large if you’re storing the entire contents of a home rather than a partial load.
These are general benchmarks. The actual fit depends on how much furniture you have vs boxes of stuff. Our Space Calculator helps you estimate based on what you’re actually putting in. For a deeper breakdown beyond moving scenarios, learn how to pick a storage unit size for any situation.
Don’t Forget Furniture and Odd-Shaped Items
Boxes stack neatly. Furniture doesn’t. A single couch, bed frame, or wardrobe can eat up a surprising chunk of a storage unit’s footprint even when the rest of your belongings would fit in something smaller.
So, list every large item separately when estimating what storage unit size is best for a house move. Don’t lump them in with the box count. Lean toward the next size up rather than hoping everything will fit together perfectly if you have more than two or three major furniture pieces.
Disassembling bed frames, tables, and shelving units can reclaim a lot of floor space. But the truth is, these pieces still take up more room than most people expect even when broken down.
Factor in Budget and Duration
Finding what storage unit size is best for a house move isn’t just about fitting everything. You need to think about the monthly cost over the full storage period. A larger unit costs more per month, and that difference adds up if your move involves a longer gap between homes.
In some cases, reducing bulky items can make your storage setup more efficient and easier to manage. The best storage unit size for a house move balances what you need to fit against what you’re willing to pay each month.
Look at how much moving companies charge for storage so you can see where WheeKeep stacks up against traditional alternatives. You’ll be surprised just how much more cost-effective our solution is!
Parting Thoughts on the Best Storage Unit Size for a House Move
Choosing the best storage unit size for a house move gets simpler once you’ve separated furniture from boxes and figured out how long you’ll need the space. Go one size up when in doubt – it’s cheaper than forcing a second trip or damaging belongings in a unit that’s too tight.
WheeKeep delivers the storage unit to your door and handles the heavy lifting (with packing included if you want it) so the only decision left is which size matches your move.
Use our Space Calculator to get a recommendation based on what you’re actually storing. Or, reach out now for one-on-one support! Discover the WheeKeep difference today.
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