Storage and moving is always a hassle, especially when it comes to fitting all your boxes, 
Many storage services provide estimates on the size and type of storage containers you will need. Some of the common guidelines used are listed below:
- Make a list: Quickly write up a list of all the larger items you will need to store or move. This can include items such as furniture, appliances, oddly shaped items, and other things that you wouldn’t pack into boxes.
- Estimate boxes: Smaller items such as books, cooking ware, clothing, toys, etc. will most likely all be packed into boxes. Estimating the number and size of boxes you will use can be tough, but it can help to think of each box as a certain number of drawers or shelves. If a complete dresser full of clothing will fit in one box, then a home with four dressers and a closetful of clothes will likely need four or five boxes total for those items. Thinking in these terms, you can guestimate how many boxes will need to go into storage.
- Think of house size: People tend to fill the space they live in, whether that space is a large 3,500 square foot house or a small 1,200 square foot apartment. An 8’x8’x16’ storage unit will generally be enough for a 1,500 square foot home, so for an average sized place roughly double that size, two containers will be needed.
- Stacking logistics: Some items can be stored on their side, which is important to take into account when determining the number of portable storage units needed. Also, some items such as bedframes will be collapsed and take up very little room, and other items might fit additional things inside their shape.
If you need to be precise with your measurements, such as if you are in charge of a company budget for a commercial move, calculating each item’s volume (size in cubic feet) may be necessary. This is done by multiplying each item’s width by length by height, then adding them all together. You can then compare that with the volume inside the container you need, which for an 8’x8’x16’ unit would be 1024 cubic feet. This can give you a rough estimate of how many units to get, but it can be a bit off since some items may fit together in ways that conserve space.
When looking for mobile storage containers, SAM Store and Move makes it easy to tell how many you will need with an online storage calculator. Just enter in how many of each item you have on the provided list, and the calculator will give you an estimate of how much space you need. For more information on portable storage and moving options in Dallas, contact SAM Store and Move today.