The self-storage industry has a dirty secret: most customers rent 30–50% more space than they need. This is not an accident. Facility staff are trained to recommend one size up "just in case." The price difference seems small ("only £20 more per month"), but over six months that is £120 you did not need to spend. Over a year, £240. For a box of air.
This guide exists to prevent that. We are going to show you exactly what fits in each storage size, give you real-world scenarios (a one-bed flat, a student's room, a family's surplus), and help you pick the right size on the first try. No upselling, no "just in case."
Storage sizes explained (with what actually fits)
Storage is measured in either square feet (commercial) or cubic metres (Packhood and most peer-to-peer). Here is the conversion: 1m³ ≈ 10.75 sq ft of floor space stacked to average ceiling height. A "10 sq ft" locker and a "1m³" space are roughly the same thing.
Locker / 1–2m³ / 10–20 sq ft: Imagine a large wardrobe. Fits: 5–10 standard moving boxes, a suitcase, seasonal clothes in vacuum bags, documents and files, a few small appliances. Best for: Students storing books and clothes over summer. Seasonal item rotation. Document archiving.
Small / 3–5m³ / 25–50 sq ft: Imagine a garden shed. Fits: Contents of a studio or one-bed flat — single mattress, small sofa, 10–15 boxes, a desk, a bookshelf. A bicycle. Best for: Between-flat moves, student summer storage, small business overflow.
Medium / 6–10m³ / 50–100 sq ft: Imagine a single-car garage. Fits: Contents of a one- to two-bed flat — double bed, sofa, dining table with chairs, wardrobe, 15–25 boxes, white goods (washing machine, fridge). Best for: House movers, renovation clearance, family seasonal items.
Large / 11–20m³ / 100–200 sq ft: Imagine a double garage. Fits: Contents of a two- to three-bed house — multiple beds, large sofa, dining set, multiple wardrobes, 25–40 boxes, garden furniture, tools. Best for: Full house moves, long-term family storage, small business stock rooms.
Extra large / 20m³+ / 200+ sq ft: Imagine a shipping container. Fits: Contents of a four-bed house, entire office clearance, large business inventory, workshop equipment. Best for: Full house clearance, business stock, vehicle storage alongside household items.
Common scenarios: how much space do you actually need?
"I am storing a sofa and 10 boxes": 3–4m³. A small Packhood space (garden shed or section of a garage). Cost: €40–€70/month.
"Student summer storage — one bedroom's worth": 2–4m³. A bed frame, desk, 8–12 boxes of clothes and books, a guitar. Cost: €35–€60/month.
"Clearing one room for renovation": 5–8m³. A double bed, bedside tables, a chest of drawers, lamps, curtains, 10–15 boxes. Cost: €60–€100/month.
"Moving house — entire 2-bed flat": 8–12m³. Everything except what you are sleeping on tonight. Cost: €80–€130/month.
"Family surplus — stuff we don't use daily": 3–6m³. Christmas decorations, camping gear, children's outgrown clothes, seasonal sports equipment, archived photos and books. Cost: €40–€80/month.
"Small business — Etsy/eBay stock": 2–8m³ depending on product size. A few shelving units' worth of inventory. Cost: €35–€90/month.
The "most people overestimate" problem
Here is why you probably need less than you think:
You will declutter. The process of boxing items up forces you to confront what you actually own. Most people discard or donate 15–25% of their items during this process. Budget for the post-declutter volume, not the pre-declutter pile.
Boxes stack. A pile of boxes on your living room floor looks enormous. Stacked neatly in a garage with uniform box sizes, the same items take up half the floor space. Commercial storage quotes floor area — but you use vertical space too.
Furniture disassembles. A bed frame flat-packed takes 80% less space than assembled. An IKEA bookshelf disassembles in 10 minutes with an Allen key. A dining table with detachable legs halves its footprint. Spend 30 minutes disassembling before you estimate your space needs.
You do not need to store everything. The items you access weekly should stay at home. The items you access never should be donated. Only the middle category — things you access monthly to annually — belong in storage. That category is smaller than you think.
How to measure your items
The box method: Pack everything into standard moving boxes (45cm × 45cm × 50cm). Count the boxes. Every 10 boxes = approximately 1m³ when stacked. 20 boxes = 2m³. Add 30% for furniture and odd-shaped items.
The room method: Measure the floor area of the room you are clearing (length × width in metres). Multiply by 0.5 (you stack to half ceiling height on average). A 3m × 4m room = 12m² × 0.5 = 6m³ of storage needed.
The calculator: Use our rent-vs-store calculator to estimate how much space you need and what it will cost on Packhood vs a bigger flat.
FAQ: storage sizes
What is the most popular storage size? 5–8m³ (50–75 sq ft). This covers the most common use case: contents of one room, or the "keep but don't use daily" surplus from a family home.
Can I change size after booking? On Packhood, yes — message your host or book a different space. On commercial storage, you can usually upgrade but rarely downgrade without penalty.
Is m³ or sq ft more accurate? Cubic metres (m³) are more honest because they account for stacking height. A "25 sq ft" commercial unit with 8ft ceilings has different usable volume than the same floor area with 10ft ceilings. Packhood lists in m³ for this reason.
What if I need more space later? Book a second Packhood space nearby. Many hosts have multiple spaces (garage + shed, for example). Splitting across two smaller spaces is often cheaper than one large one.