Renting a storage unit that is too small means a second trip. Renting one that is too large means paying for empty square footage every month. Getting the size right the first time saves you money and frustration, especially when you are already in the middle of a move.
Daymakers Moving & Storage provides climate-controlled storage for Roseville residents and businesses, alongside full moving services in Roseville. Whether you need short-term storage between a move-out and move-in date or long-term storage for items you are not ready to part with, working with a dependable moving company ensures you choose the right unit size and avoid unnecessary costs.
Start With an Inventory, Not a Guess
The single most reliable way to choose a storage unit size is to take inventory before you visit a facility. Most people try to estimate from memory, which leads to either underestimating the volume of a three-bedroom house or overestimating how much a two-bedroom apartment holds.
Go room by room. List every piece of furniture. Count the boxes you expect to have at the time of storage. Flag anything large, heavy, or oddly shaped: sectional sofas, treadmills, dining room tables with leaves, and patio furniture sets. These items take up more cubic feet than they appear to when assembled in a room.
If you are using Daymakers for your move, this inventory process happens during the free walk-through quote. The estimator reviews every room and flags what is going into storage versus what is going directly to the new location. That visibility prevents unit-size mistakes before they cost you anything.
Standard Storage Unit Sizes and What Fits in Each
Storage facilities in and around Roseville typically offer units in these standard sizes. Here is what realistically fits in each.
5×5 (25 square feet) Think of this as a large closet. Good for boxes of seasonal items, small furniture pieces like end tables or nightstands, sports equipment, or a few pieces of clothing. Not suitable for furniture for a full room.
5×10 (50 square feet) A studio apartment’s worth of belongings fits here: a mattress set, a small sofa, a few boxes, and a handful of smaller items. Also works for the contents of a single bedroom when paired with boxes.
10×10 (100 square feet) The most commonly rented size. Fits the contents of a one-bedroom apartment or a two-bedroom home if you are storing selectively. Accommodates a queen mattress set, a couch, a dresser, a dining table with chairs, and roughly 20 to 30 boxes.
10×15 (150 square feet) Suitable for a two-bedroom apartment or a smaller two-bedroom home. Adds room for a second bedroom’s furniture set, a washer and dryer, and more boxes.
10×20 (200 square feet) Fits the contents of a two- to three-bedroom home. A full furniture set from multiple rooms, appliances, boxes, and outdoor furniture can all fit here with thoughtful stacking.
10×25 or 10×30 (250 to 300 square feet) For larger homes, three bedrooms and up, or for commercial storage needs. Also used by businesses storing office furniture, shelving, or equipment during a relocation.
How Packing Affects How Much Space You Need
The way your items are packed and stacked directly affects how much unit space you use. Two households with identical inventories can require different unit sizes based purely on how items are prepared for storage.
Properly packed boxes stack cleanly and use vertical space. Improperly packed boxes, irregular shapes, partially filled boxes, and uneven boxes waste vertical space and make stacking unstable. Furniture that is disassembled before storage takes up significantly less floor space than furniture stored assembled.
Professional packing services reduce unit size needs in practice. When the crew wraps furniture, breaks down bed frames and tables, and boxes items consistently, the stored volume is tighter and more organized. For Roseville customers using Daymakers for both moving and storage, this coordination happens as part of the same job.
Climate-Controlled vs. Standard Units in Roseville
Minnesota’s temperature range makes climate-controlled storage worth understanding before you choose a unit. Roseville sits in a climate that regularly drops below zero in January and can hit 90 degrees in July. That range matters for what you are storing.
Items that benefit from climate-controlled storage include wood furniture, which can crack or warp with extreme temperature and humidity swings. Electronics, which are sensitive to condensation. Artwork and antiques. Wine. Documents and photographs. Leather furniture and upholstered pieces.
Items that typically do not require climate control include metal patio furniture, most lawn equipment, plastic storage bins with non-sensitive contents, and tools.
If you are storing anything that would be damaged by freezing temperatures or high summer heat and humidity, climate-controlled unit storage is the right choice. Daymakers provides climate-controlled storage in Roseville for both residential and commercial customers.
Storage for Specific Move Types in Roseville
Different move types generate different storage needs. Here is how unit size decisions shift depending on what kind of move you are navigating.
Local residential moves. The most common storage use case in Roseville is a gap between closing dates. The old house closes before the new one is ready, or a renovation at the new home is not finished. A 10×10 or 10×15 unit covers most two- and three-bedroom homes for a short bridge period.
Senior and downsizing moves. Moving from a larger Roseville family home to a smaller apartment or senior living community often means not everything fits in the new space. Storage holds the overflow, including furniture, seasonal items, and heirlooms, while the family decides what to do with it. A 10×10 to 10×20 unit is common for this scenario.
Long-distance moves. When an interstate move has a delivery window that does not align with the destination move-in date, storage holds your belongings in Roseville until the timing works out. Unit size in this case mirrors your full household inventory.
Commercial moves. Businesses on the Highway 36 corridor in Roseville and Arden Hills sometimes use storage during office relocations for overflow inventory, shelving, or equipment that cannot move until the new space is ready. Larger units, 10×20 and up, are standard for commercial storage.
How to Avoid Paying for Space You Don’t Need
A few practical rules help keep storage costs in check.
Take the inventory first. Do not try to estimate from a bedroom count alone. Two people can have a wide range of belongings in the same-sized home.
Ask about vertical space. Most storage units have 8- to 10-foot ceilings. Stacking boxes and using shelving units inside the storage unit increases capacity without increasing the rental footprint.
Store only what you intend to retrieve. Storage has a tendency to become a long-term holding place for items that should be donated, sold, or disposed of. Before putting anything in storage, decide whether it is worth paying monthly rent to keep.
Coordinate moving and storage together. When the same company handles both the move and the storage, the crew can make real-time decisions about what goes into storage, how it is packed, and how the unit is loaded. Daymakers handles this as one job rather than two separate engagements.
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