How to Pick the Right Storage Unit Size in Buena Vista, CO

Most people rent a storage unit the same week they need it, standing in a driveway full of boxes with a truck idling. The question is always the same: how big does the unit need to be? Pick too small and you are back the next day renting a second one. Pick too big and you pay every month for air. This guide walks through the five drive-up sizes we rent at Buena Vista Self Storage in Johnson Village and what actually fits in each, so you can book the right one online in a few minutes and move in the same day.

1. Start with what you are storing, not with square feet

Unit sizes are quoted in feet, which is hard to picture. It helps to think in real objects instead. A queen mattress set standing on edge takes about 5 feet of wall. A full-size fridge is roughly 3 feet by 3 feet. A raft on a trailer runs 12 to 15 feet long. A standard moving box is about 18 inches on a side, so twelve boxes stack into a 3-foot cube. Walk through your house with a notepad and list the big things first: furniture, appliances, bikes, skis, coolers, the camping bin. The boxes fill in around them.

Then decide how often you will visit. If you plan to pull the skis out every weekend from November to April, you want a unit with an aisle left open and the winter gear near the door. If it is a full house going in for a year while you build or renovate, you can pack tight to the ceiling. The same pile of stuff can fit a 10x10 packed tight or need a 10x15 packed for access.

2. 5x10: the walk-in closet

A 5x10 is 50 square feet, about the size of a large shed. It holds the contents of a studio or a dorm room: a mattress set, a dresser, a couple of chairs and 15 to 20 boxes. In Buena Vista it is the classic seasonal-gear unit. Two or three bikes, a set of skis and boots, a paddleboard, the camping kit and the holiday decorations all fit with room to walk in. Every unit we rent is drive-up, so you back the truck to the roll-up door and unload straight in.

3. 10x10: a one-bedroom home

At 100 square feet, a 10x10 is half of a standard garage. It takes the furniture from a one-bedroom apartment: sofa, mattress set, dresser, a small dining table and 30 to 40 boxes. It is also the size most people choose when they are between houses in Chaffee County for a few months and want everything in one place. Leave a walkway down the middle and put the things you might need at the front.

4. 10x15: two bedrooms, or a small business

A 10x15 gives you 150 square feet, close to a large bedroom. It fits a two-bedroom home including appliances, or it works as overflow for a business: shelving, inventory, tools and the seasonal signage that only comes out in summer. Contractors in the valley use this size for equipment they do not want in the truck overnight.

5. 10x20 and 10x30: the whole house, or a vehicle

A 10x20 is 200 square feet, the size of a one-car garage. It holds a three-bedroom house, or a car, a side-by-side or a small trailer with room around it. Our 10x20 and 10x30 drive-up units are set up for vehicle storage, and we also have one 15x25 drive-in garage with a tall overhead door. The 10x30 is 300 square feet, a full house of four or five bedrooms, or a vehicle plus a household. If you are storing a boat or camper that can stay outdoors, our open-air parking spaces run 10x20 to 12x22 and cost less than an enclosed unit.

6. A few tricks that save money

• Stand mattresses, sofas and tables on end against the walls. Height is free, floor space is what you pay for.
• Use uniform boxes so they stack straight to the ceiling. Odd-shaped bins waste the top third of the unit.
• Put the things you will need again at the front and label the sides of boxes, not the tops.
• Rentals are month to month, so if you clear things out over the winter, move down a size instead of paying for the empty half.

Still not sure?

Our size guide has the full breakdown for every unit we have on the lot, and live availability and pricing are in the rental list on our home page. If you would rather ask a person, text us what you are storing at (719) 435-5644 and we will tell you which size fits. The gate is open 24/7 with your personal keypad code, so once you rent you can move in on your own schedule.