A five-bedroom house usually needs at least 400 square feet of storage — a 20x20 unit, or a 10x30 plus a 10x10. That's more than the largest standard self-storage unit, which is why most people storing a house this size end up with two units, or go looking for a facility that builds bigger ones.

The quick answer by situation

Your five-bedroom house	Storage to plan for
Packed tight, no garage	10x30 (300 sq ft)
Typical furniture and appliances	20x20 (400 sq ft), or a 10x30 plus a 10x10
Full garage, large furniture, outdoor furniture	20x30 (600 sq ft)
The house plus a car, boat, or camper	20x30 to 20x50 (600 to 1,000 sq ft)

Why a 5-bedroom house outgrows the standard chart

Standard self-storage tops out at a 10x30, and a five-bedroom house usually comes with more than five bedrooms' worth of furniture:

• Five bedroom sets, or four plus an office or guest room.
• Two or three living spaces — living room, family room, game room or loft.
• Formal and casual dining, often with a hutch or buffet.
• Large pieces — sectionals, a piano, a pool table, armoires, outdoor furniture and a grill.
• A three-car garage of tools, sports gear, bikes, and shelving.
• 150 boxes or more.

Floor space isn't the whole story: check the ceiling

Most storage units have an 8-foot ceiling, so that's as high as you can stack. A taller ceiling lets you put shelving over the furniture and stack boxes higher, which means you can rent less floor space.

Unit	Square feet	Cubic feet
10x30, 8-ft ceiling	300	2,400
20x20, 8-ft ceiling	400	3,200
20x30, 16-ft ceiling	600	9,600

A 20x30 with a 16-foot ceiling has about three times the volume of a standard 20x20, in one space.

Storing a whole house for months

Five-bedroom houses usually go into storage for one of a few reasons: a custom build or a major remodel, a relocation where the new house isn't ready, or settling a family estate. All of them tend to run longer than planned, so a few things matter more than they would for a two-week move:

• Heat. Bakersfield summers are hard on wood, leather, electronics, and photos. Choose an insulated or climate-controlled unit, and use breathable furniture pads rather than plastic.
• Access. You will need something from the back. Leave a center aisle and put the most-used boxes near the door.
• Drive-up loading. Backing a moving truck straight to the door saves hours on a load this size.
• Month-to-month terms, so a delayed build doesn't lock you into a lease.
• An inventory. Photograph each wall of the unit as you load it.

Where Elite fits

Elite's units start where standard storage ends. Every unit is enclosed and drive-up, 20 feet wide with 16-foot ceilings, from about 600 to 2,220 square feet. A five-bedroom house fits in our smallest unit with room to walk, and the larger ones hold a house and a car, boat, or camper together.

• 12- to 14-foot roll-up doors you can back a moving truck straight to, plus a separate walk-in door.
• Insulated — R30 ceiling, R19 walls. Not climate controlled, but far cooler than an uninsulated metal unit.
• Concrete floors, lighting, and 120-volt outlets in every unit.
• Room for shelving — freestanding shelving is fine; floor- or wall-mounted racking needs owner approval.
• Gated, fenced, with 34 cameras recording and your own gate code.
• Month-to-month.

See large storage units in Bakersfield for the full range.

Frequently asked questions

What size storage unit do I need for a 5-bedroom house?

Usually 400 square feet or more: a 20x20, a 10x30 plus a 10x10, or a 20x30 if there's a full garage or large furniture.

Will a 5-bedroom house fit in a 10x30?

Only if it's packed very tight with modest furniture and no garage. Most need more.

How many boxes does a 5-bedroom house need?

Typically 150 to 200 medium boxes, plus wardrobe and dish-pack boxes.

Can I store my house and my car in the same unit?

Yes, in a unit wide enough to park beside your things. A 20x30 fits a car alongside a house's worth of furniture; a 20x50 or larger handles a car plus a boat or camper.

What size for a 4-bedroom house?

Usually a 10x30. See what size unit a 4-bedroom house needs.

Get a size recommendation

The Bakersfield storage size calculator takes about a minute. Then check the current move-in special, reserve online, or contact us to see a unit before you move.