This is the benchmark size. A 20ft container holds roughly what a three bedroom house needs, packed with care and stacked to the ceiling.
Roughly 8 to 10 standard pallets fit on the floor, or far more once you add racking. A steady, secure spot for stock between deliveries.
As a rule of thumb, a 20ft container holds roughly the contents of a three bedroom house, or a large office. Business stock sits on pallets or racking. A car fits with room to spare. A trade business can fit a full van's worth of kit and materials. What matters most is packing it well.
A classic or family car fits comfortably, with room to walk around it. Handy for a car you are not driving every day.
Racking down one side, ladders, a mixer, power tools and materials. Everything a trade business needs, close at hand.
A one bedroom flat is the easiest to plan for, since there is less to fit. A three bedroom house takes the most thought, and benefits from stacking floor to ceiling from the start.
One bedroom flat: sofa, bed, wardrobe, table and chairs, white goods and around 25 boxes, with room to spare.
Two bedroom house: two beds, sofa, dining set, appliances and around 50 boxes.
Three bedroom house: the lot, packed sensibly, floor to ceiling, with a walkway left down the middle.
A few habits make the space go further. Stack floor to ceiling and use similar sized boxes where you can. Put heavy boxes low and light ones on top. Stand mattresses and table tops on their edge rather than flat. Dismantle bed frames, and fill the inside of drawers and appliances instead of leaving them empty. Leave a walkway down the middle so you can reach the back, and keep the things you need often near the doors.
Anything longer than about 19 feet.
Anything that will not pass through a doorway just under 7ft 8in wide and 7ft 6in high.
Hazardous, perishable or illegal items.
The container costs £100 a month, whatever you store inside it. Come and see one before you decide, so you can picture your own things inside.
