I messed up my first storage unit. Big time.
I was moving out of my apartment after a breakup, and my brain was scrambled. I looked at the prices online and thought, “The 5×5 is cheapest, I’ll make it work.” I spent a whole weekend trying to jam my life into a closet-sized space. My couch wouldn’t fit. I had to leave it on the curb. I stood there in the rain, feeling like an idiot, watching some guys throw it into a pickup truck. I’d already paid for the unit, so I was stuck with it, half-empty and useless for what I needed.
That sucked. I don’t want you to do that.
The Other Extreme (My Dad’s Mistake)
The other extreme is just as bad. My dad rented a 10×20 once for my grandma’s stuff. He walked into that huge, empty space and just… spread out. He could’ve parked a car in there and still had room. He paid for two years. When we finally cleared it out, we found whole sections of the unit that were just… empty air. He literally threw thousands of dollars away because he was scared of not having enough room.
So yeah, I get the stress. It feels like a test you didn’t study for.
Here’s what I learned from screwing it up and then watching hundreds of people do the same thing.
The Brutal Sort (Your Biggest Money Saver)
The sorting part is brutal, but it’s where you save the real money. Go to your basement or garage right now. Look at the third thing you see. An old cooler? A box of mismatched Tupperware? Ask yourself: “If I had to pay $40 a month, every month, to keep this, would I?” If the answer is no, you’re done with it. Donate it, sell it, trash it. This one step will cut your needs in half, I promise.
Turn Chaos into Blocks
Packing isn’t about throwing things in boxes. It’s about making weird shapes into blocks. That wicker chair? It’s a chaos monster. It snags on everything. Get a $10 roll of plastic cling film from the moving store and wrap the whole thing tight. Boom. Now it’s a smooth block. Do that for table legs, for the drawers in your dresser, for lamp shades. You’re not just protecting stuff; you’re making it stackable.
Let’s Talk Real Sizes (Not Square Feet)
A 5×5: Your Shed
It’s where the Christmas tree lives, plus all the decorations, plus your kid’s old crib, plus your camping gear. You’ll pack it to the ceiling and be able to touch the back wall from the doorway. It’s for stuff you need, but not often.
A 5×10: The “Oh, Thank God” Size
This is a game changer. This is the one most people need and don’t realize it. It holds a one-bedroom apartment. Seriously. Your bed, your couch, your coffee table, your TV stand, a bookshelf, and a wall of boxes. You can walk in. You can find things. At our place, if someone is moving and looks unsure, I often just point them to this size. It fits without feeling like a cruel puzzle.
A 10×10: The Mind Trick
This is a mind trick. When you open the door, it feels vast. You’ll think, “I could live in here.” Don’t be fooled. This can eat a 3-bedroom house. The mistake is seeing all that emptiness on day one and panicking, thinking you need more. You don’t. Fill it. Use the height. Get cheap shelves from Craigslist and build upwards. The space above your head is free.
The One Hack That Actually Works
After you’ve sorted, make a dumb, simple list. “One big couch, queen mattress, four kitchen chairs, about 20 medium boxes, a bike.” Call me. Read me the list. I will immediately know. I’ve seen it all. I know a 10×10 will be tight with that list; a 10×15 will be comfortable. I’m not a robot on a website. I’m the guy who has to hand you the lock when you realize you’re wrong. I hate that moment. I want you to get it right. I want you to drive away relieved. That’s it. That’s my whole job.
Let’s Be the Easy Part
Look, this isn’t about storage. It’s about a tough moment in your life—moving, downsizing, clearing out. It’s emotional chaos. The storage unit should be the easy part. The simple, secure, predictable part.
That’s what we try to be. The easy part.
When you’ve got that pile and you’re ready, come see us. We’ll look at your list, walk you to a unit, and say, “This is it.” No guesswork. No stress. Just a room for your stuff, in the right size.
You’ve got enough to figure out. Let this be the one thing that’s simple.
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