What Actually Fits in a Storage Unit? Visual Packing Guides
Every storage company says "fits a one-bedroom apartment" — but what does that actually look like? We've built visual guides for every standard Australian storage size in metric (m²), with real item counts and packing layouts you can follow.
Why Australian-specific packing guides?
Most packing guides online use US measurements (5×5 feet, 10×10 feet). Australian storage units are measured in square metres, and the sizes don't translate neatly. A "5×5" US unit is ~2.3 m² — that's a locker here, not a "small unit." These guides use the exact m² sizes you'll see quoted by Kennards, National Storage, Storage King, and every other Australian provider.
Quick Match: What Are You Storing?
Not sure? Our interactive size calculator asks what you're storing and recommends a size.
1. Locker (1–2 m²)
What fits (to scale):
Floor plan view — stacking to 2.4 m ceiling doubles capacity
Typical contents
- 10–15 standard moving boxes (400 × 300 × 300 mm)
- 2–3 suitcases
- Seasonal sports gear (skis, surfboard, camping gear)
- Small household items, Christmas decorations
- Document archive boxes (fits ~30 archive cartons)
Best for
- Seasonal decluttering — summer/winter gear rotation
- Students between semesters
- Small business document storage
- Travellers storing belongings while overseas
Pro tip: Lockers are the cheapest per month but the most expensive per m². If you're borderline between a locker and a small unit, the small unit is often better value. Check our Am I Overpaying? guide to see per-m² rates in your area.
2. Small Unit (3–5 m²)
What fits (to scale):
Floor plan view — stand mattress on its side against the back wall
Typical contents
- Single bed frame + mattress (stood on side)
- Desk, office chair, small bookshelf
- 2 wardrobe boxes of clothing
- 15–20 moving boxes
- Bicycle, floor lamp, small side tables
- 2–3 suitcases
Best for
- Studio apartment or single bedroom contents
- University students moving between share houses
- Excess furniture from one room during a renovation
- Small e-commerce inventory (see our business storage guide)
Pro tip: Disassemble the bed frame and remove table legs before storing. This alone can free up 20–30% of floor space. Tape hardware (screws, bolts) in a labelled ziplock bag to the item they belong to.
3. Medium Unit (6–9 m²)
Most popular size in Australia. If you're storing a one-bedroom apartment for a move or renovation, this is almost certainly what you need. Based on our data from 600+ Australian facilities, medium units account for roughly 35% of all rentals.
What fits in a 3 m × 3 m unit (9 m²):
(mattress on side)
Floor plan view — boxes shown as single layer, but stack 3–4 high in practice
Typical contents (1-bedroom apartment)
- Queen bed frame + mattress
- 2-seater sofa (stood on end saves 1 m² of floor space)
- Dining table + 4 chairs
- Fridge, washing machine
- TV unit, coffee table
- 2–3 wardrobe boxes
- 25–35 moving boxes
- Floor lamps, rugs (rolled), small appliances
Best for
- One-bedroom apartment moves
- Partial house contents during a renovation
- Downsizing — holding furniture while you decide what stays
- Couples moving house with a settlement gap
Pro tip: A 6 m² unit is ~30% cheaper than a 9 m² unit. If you disassemble all furniture, stand the sofa on end, and stack boxes to the ceiling, most one-bedroom apartments fit in 6 m². Only go 9 m² if you have large appliances and want easy access without restacking.
4. Large Unit (10–15 m²)
What fits in a 3 m × 4.5 m unit (13.5 m²):
dryer
Floor plan view — typical 2–3 bedroom household
Typical contents (2–3 bedroom house)
- Queen bed + double bed (or queen + 2 singles)
- 3-seater sofa, armchair
- 6-seater dining table + chairs
- Fridge, washing machine, dryer
- Wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside tables
- TV unit, desk, bookshelves
- BBQ, outdoor furniture, garden tools
- 40–60 moving boxes
- Rugs, curtain rods, mirrors, artwork
Best for
- Full house contents during a move or renovation
- Families downsizing from a house to an apartment
- Business inventory and equipment (see our business guide)
- Deceased estate storage while sorting contents
Pro tip: Large units are where packing technique makes the biggest dollar difference. A poorly packed 15 m² unit could often fit in 10 m² with proper stacking — saving you $100–200/month. See our packing tips below.
5. Extra-Large Unit (15–20+ m²)
These are the size of a single garage or larger. If you need this much space, it's worth asking whether you actually need it — or whether better packing would get you into a large unit at half the price. Our Store or Sell calculator can help you decide what's worth keeping.
Typical contents
- Entire 3–4 bedroom house including outdoor furniture, tools, and garden equipment
- Multiple beds, sofas, full kitchen contents
- Piano, gym equipment, large workshop tools
- 60–100+ moving boxes
- Business stock, shelving, display equipment
- Vehicle parts, sporting equipment, holiday gear
Best for
- Large family homes (4+ bedrooms)
- Extended renovations (6+ months) where you need easy access
- Growing e-commerce or trade businesses (but compare with warehouse pricing — see our business guide)
- Combining two households (e.g., moving in together)
Warning: At $500+/month, you're spending $6,000+/year. If you're storing items worth less than what you're paying to store them, it's cheaper to sell and rebuy later. Our Store or Sell calculator does the maths for you.
6. Packing Like a Pro: 10 Rules That Save Space and Money
Good packing can reduce your unit size by one bracket (saving $80–200/month). Here's what experienced removalists actually do:
1. Disassemble everything
Remove bed frames, table legs, shelving brackets. A bed frame in pieces takes 30% less space than assembled. Bag and label all hardware.
2. Sofas go on end
Stand a 3-seater sofa on its end (arm down). It uses ~0.8 m² of floor space instead of 2.5 m². Secure with a ratchet strap to the wall or adjacent furniture.
3. Mattresses go vertical
Stand mattresses on their side against a wall. Use a mattress bag for protection. A queen mattress laid flat wastes 3 m² of floor space.
4. Use uniform box sizes
Standard moving boxes (400 × 300 × 300 mm) stack cleanly. Random boxes create gaps and wobble. Buy boxes from the storage facility or Bunnings — they're standard sizes.
5. Stack to the ceiling
Most units are 2.4–3 m high. If you only stack 1.5 m, you're paying for 40% air. Heavy boxes on the bottom, light on top. Never stack more than 4–5 boxes high.
6. Fill the insides of things
Fridges, washing machines, wardrobes, chest of drawers, suitcases — all have empty space inside. Fill them with linen, clothes, kitchenware, or small items.
7. Leave a centre aisle
If storing for more than a month, leave a 400 mm aisle so you can access the back. Otherwise you'll restack the entire unit to find one item.
8. Heaviest items at the back
Fridge, washing machine, and bed frame go in first, against the back wall. Boxes and smaller items fill around them. Last-in items go near the door for easy access.
9. Wrap furniture in cotton, not plastic
Plastic wrapping traps moisture and causes mould, especially in non-climate-controlled units. Use cotton dust sheets or old bed sheets. Bubble wrap is fine for fragile items but allow airflow.
10. Master inventory at the door
Tape a folder inside the unit door with a list of everything stored and which box it's in. Label boxes on two sides (top labels are invisible when stacked). Take a photo of the packed unit.
7. Packing Mistakes That Cost You a Bigger Unit
These are the most common mistakes we see — each one wastes space and pushes you into a more expensive unit bracket:
| Mistake | Space wasted | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mattress laid flat on the floor | ~3 m² (queen) | Stand on side against wall |
| Sofa placed normally | ~2.5 m² | Stand on end (arm down) |
| Bed frame left assembled | ~3 m² | Disassemble; frame against wall |
| Mismatched box sizes | 20–30% gaps | Use uniform 400×300×300 mm boxes |
| Boxes stacked only waist-high | 40–50% ceiling | Stack 4–5 high (heavy bottom) |
| Empty appliances and drawers | 0.5–1 m² per item | Fill with linen, clothes, small items |
The maths: Fixing just the top three mistakes (mattress, sofa, bed frame) saves roughly 8.5 m² of floor space. That's the difference between needing a large unit ($300–550/mo) and fitting into a medium unit ($200–400/mo). Over a 3-month renovation, that's $300–450 saved.
8. What Needs Climate Control? (The Honest Answer)
Storage providers love upselling climate-controlled units at a 10–20% premium. Here's when you actually need it, and when you don't:
Worth the premium
- Leather furniture — cracks and moulds in humidity
- Wooden antiques — warps in temperature swings
- Electronics — circuit boards corrode in moisture
- Musical instruments — wood and strings are humidity-sensitive
- Artwork and photographs — moisture damage is irreversible
- Wine — needs stable temperature
- Vinyl records — warp above 30°C
Probably don't need it
- Standard furniture (Ikea, fabric sofas) for <6 months
- Clothing in sealed containers
- Kitchenware — pots, pans, plates
- Tools and hardware (lightly oiled for rust prevention)
- Books in plastic tubs (not cardboard)
- Sporting equipment
- Children's toys and baby gear
Australian exception: If your unit is in a tropical location (Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay), climate control is worth it for almost anything stored longer than 3 months. Humidity regularly exceeds 80% and temperatures hit 35°C+, which is enough to cause mould on fabric and warping on wood.
9. Printable Packing Checklist
Use this checklist before and during your move to storage. It covers what most guides forget — the preparation that prevents damage and wasted money.
Before packing day
- Measure your largest items (sofa width, fridge height, bed frame dimensions)
- Buy uniform boxes — 20 standard, 5 large, 3 wardrobe boxes per bedroom
- Get packing tape, markers, ziplock bags (for hardware), and cotton dust sheets
- Clean appliances thoroughly (mould grows on residue in storage)
- Defrost and dry the fridge at least 24 hours before storing
- Check your insurance coverage — home contents may or may not cover off-site storage
On packing day
- Disassemble all furniture; bag and label hardware
- Wrap fragile items in bubble wrap; use newspaper for padding
- Cover furniture in cotton sheets (not plastic wrap)
- Label every box on TWO sides with contents and room
- Fill appliance interiors and drawers with small items
At the unit
- Heaviest items in first, against back wall
- Stand mattress and sofa on end
- Stack boxes heavy-bottom, light-top to ceiling
- Leave a centre aisle if storing 1+ month
- Place items you'll need first near the door
- Tape master inventory list inside the unit door
- Take a photo of the packed unit for your records
The Bottom Line
Most people rent a unit one size too big because they can't visualise what fits. Good packing technique — disassembling furniture, standing large items on end, stacking to the ceiling — can easily save you one whole size bracket.
The savings are real: dropping from a large to a medium unit saves $100–200/month. Over a typical 3-month storage period, that's $300–600 back in your pocket — just from packing smarter.
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Related Guides
Storage Unit Size Guide
All 7 Australian storage sizes explained with prices and what fits in each.
Storage During a Renovation
Room-by-room planning, costs, timeline, and how to keep access to essentials.
Storage When Moving House
Bridging storage between properties — costs, timelines, and when to skip it.
Am I Overpaying for Storage?
Check your current rate against the market — and negotiate if you're paying too much.