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10ft vs 20ft vs 40ft Containers: Which Size Do You Actually Need?
- Storage Time
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
At Storage Time Bootle, we offer drive-up storage containers in three sizes: 10ft, 20ft and 40ft.
Choosing the right container size can feel like guesswork. This post will walk you through how to measure, estimate, and decide. Plus, we will break each size down in plain terms, with real-life comparisons, so you can picture exactly how much space you're getting and book with confidence.
First, what do the sizes actually mean?
The "10ft", "20ft" and "40ft" refer to the length of the container. All of our containers are roughly 8ft wide and 8ft high — that's tall enough for most people to stand up comfortably with room to spare, and wide enough to stack furniture.
So the real difference between the sizes is how deep the container goes:
10ft container — about the size of half a single garage
20ft container — about the size of a large garage
40ft container — about the size of a full-size coach
Struggling to picture it?
Think in familiar spaces: a 10ft container is like a tall garden shed, a 20ft unit is comparable to a large single garage, and a 40ft unit is like a double garage — just longer and narrower. When choosing a size, don’t forget the height and layout of your items matter — tall items and awkward shapes can take up extra room. To make the most of your space, we recommend standing mattresses and sofas on their side to avoid taking up too much floorspace.
10ft Container
Storage Time Self Storage offers 10ft containers which measure approximately 80 sq ft
Floor space: Our 10ft container measures 4ft wide, 20ft long and 8ft high.
Think of it as: a large garden shed or a small box room, but taller
This is our smallest container, and it holds more than most people expect. Because you can stack items right up to the ceiling, you get a surprising amount in. We recommend this unit for households looking to declutter their home or tradesmen looking to store their extra tools from their work van.
Best for:
The contents of a 1 bedroom flat
Clearing a room during a renovation
A tradesman's tools
Seasonal items: Christmas decorations, sports equipment
Decluttering some items from your home.
What fits inside: Items such as single mattresses, plastic crates, cardboard boxes, small shelving units etc.
When to size up: if you're storing the contents of a whole house, or you have large furniture like sofas and beds, a 10ft container will fill up fast and you will require more space. In such cases, upgrading to a larger storage unit will give you more flexibility and make your storage more accessible. At Storage Time, the next size up is a 20ft container, perfect for larger house moves or for business storage.
20ft Container — The Most Popular Choice
The next size up from a 10ft container is a 20ft container. Our 20ft containers are the most popular sizes at Storage Time. Check out the below to see what you can fit in a 20ft container.
Floor space: A 20ft container offers around 160 sq ft worth of space. This unit measures approximately 8ft wide, 20ft long and around 8ft in height.
Think of it as: a large garage
This is the size most of our customers choose, and it suits the majority of house moves and businesses.
What storage contents are ideal for a 20ft container:
Ideal for the contents of a 3-bedroom house
Perfect for business stock, equipment or archived paperwork
What fits inside: The 20ft drive up units can hold up to a 3 bed household worth of storage including furniture, appliances, garage items and over 100 boxes. It’s a perfect solution for both short-term storage and long-term storage needs.
When to size up: if you have a larger home, a large garage full of extras, or bulky items like machinery, we recommend you go for a 40ft container.
If you are a business looking to store stock, we recommend to size up when you have more than 7 pallets of stock, to ensure you can access your goods with ease.
40ft Container — Our Largest Storage Container
The largest container size we do is a 40ft container. With a floor space of around 320 sq ft, you can fit up to a double garage worth of contents in. Plus, you can benefit from additional height with this unit size. Our 40ft containers come in the high cube version which means you get 8.6ft in height, allowing you to stack all the way up. With a length of 40ft and a width of 8ft, you can store your items with confidence.
Best for:
The contents of a 5+ bedroom house
Businesses storing pallets of stock or large equipment
Long-term storage where you want everything organised and accessible, not crammed in
What fits inside: If you have a large home (over 5 bedroom), you can store everything from furniture, garage contents, loft contents, garden furniture and more. Or if you are a business you can store a small warehouse worth of contents.
Quick rule of thumb
If you want the short version:
1–2 bedroom home → 10ft
3-4 bedroom home → 20ft
5+ bedroom home or bulk business storage → 40ft
Our honest advice: if in doubt, go bigger
It might sound strange for us to say, but the most common mistake we see isn't people booking too much space — it's booking too little.
A container that's packed to the ceiling might feel like good value, but the first time you need to find one specific box, you'll have to unload half of it to get there. A little spare room means you can leave a walkway, keep frequently used items near the door, and actually use your storage rather than just filling it.
And because we don't tie you into a long-term contracts, you always have the option to downsize into a smaller unit, saving you paying for extra space you don’t need.
A few tips to make the most of whatever size you choose
Stack your items: Our containers are 8ft tall, allowing you to stack all the way. We recommend storing heavy boxes on the bottom and lighter boxes on top.
Dismantle what you can: Bed frames, tables, units can all be dismantled into smaller pieces, saving you space.
Stand sofas and mattresses on their ends: This can free up a surprising amount of floor space.
Keep an aisle: Leave a narrow walkway down the middle so you can reach the back without having to unload everything.
Label everything and keep essentials near the door: We recommend labelling all your boxes, so you know exactly which items are in which box, so if you ever need anything, it will save you time opening all your boxes.
Why drive-up storage makes loading easier
All our containers are drive-up units, which means you can park your car or van directly at the container door. There are no lifts, corridors or trolleys involved, making the loading and unloading a whole lot easier.
Check out what you can benefit from with Storage Time:
⭐ £1 First Month
⭐ 24/7 Access
⭐ 24/7 CCTV Monitoring
⭐ Self Storage Approved Sites
⭐ 5* Customer Service
Ready to book?
New customers get their first month for just £1, when storing for 12 weeks or more.
Still not sure which size is right for you? Give us a call and tell us what you're storing — we'll help you work out exactly how much space you need.
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