Know Your Stuff: Moving & Storing Your Belongings

How much space do I need for my things when considering moving and storage options? When customers call us about moving and storage options for their personal belongings, one of the most common hurdles we face is helping you determine just HOW much space you will need. Whether it’s on a moving truck, in one of our storage vaults, OR at your home inside one of our Go-Mini’s portable containers, moving and storage services are definitely NOT “one size fits all.”   As humans, we are capable of accumulating A LOT of stuff! From furniture and clothes, to family mementos, trinkets from travels, and art and other collectibles, the volume of “stuff” we can pile into homes, apartments, and storage units continues to grow each year. According to a 2015 article on “Becoming a Minimalist” that takes a closer look at just how much “stuff” the average American household has, there are an estimated 300,000 items, on average, in each American home. The article points to other staggering statistics, including the need for offsite storage by every 1 in 10 Americans, and that 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% only have room for one vehicle.   So when you’re dealing with that kind of volume, how do you even know where to start? How DO you determine how much space you need to store or move your items!? Well, we’re glad you asked. If you’re looking to relocate to a new home, or are interested in long-term storage for your items and aren’t interested in renting a storage unit, we cannot say enough how important it is to have an in-home estimate of your items. Especially when hiring a relocation service, like ADSI Moving Systems, this allows a professional the opportunity to come in and assess exactly what you have and based on that visit to provide an estimate and ensure that there is enough space and the proper equipment to move all of your items.   For the DIY option, our Go-Mini’s Portable storage service has a great Storage Calculator, which will help you find your perfect fit. The calculator allows you to go through, room by room, and select your items and enter the quantity of boxes to help you find your best fit. We offer 3 sizes of containers, 12, 16, or 20 feet in length, and as a rule of thumb we recommend our 12 ft container for things like:

  • Small scale projects
  • Weekend renovations
  • Dorm rooms or studio apartment moves
  • Storage for 2-3 Rooms
  • Compact, On-site Storage

We recommend our 16 Ft. container for things like:

  • Storage for 3-4 Rooms
  • Condo/Large Apartment Relocations
  • Inventory Storage
  • Small Construction Projects

We recommend our 20 Ft. container for things like:

  • Storage for 4-6 Rooms
  • Personal Relocation of a Home
  • Large Scale Construction
  • Large-Scale Home Renovation Storage
  • Large-Scale Home Restoration Projects.

While it can seem overwhelming to try to calculate just how much storage you might need, a great place to start would be by taking an inventory of all your items, and of course, by giving one of our experts a call for an in-home estimate. If you’re going to DIY route, remember that your inventory will be a huge help when using our Go-Mini’s storage calculator, and as always, we have our friendly staff on hand to answer any of your questions and help you out. The great news is, no matter your moving or storage needs, we offer it all under one roof and can help you find the best way to store or relocate your belongings with the right tools and the least amount of headaches.