If you are looking to hire a shipping container to store your belongings, it can be a challenge to know what size you want to hire. They are usually available in six sizes.
When you are choosing a unit to hire, the size that you pick should depend on how much space you feel you need, and so it is important that you know the volume of each:
- 10ft gives you 560ft³
- 10ft high cube gives you 630ft³
- 20ft gives you 1160ft³
- 20ft high cube gives you 1310ft³
- 40ft gives you 2360ft³
- 40ft high cube gives you 2660ft³
Storage Potential of a 20ft Container
An ordinary 20ft unit is the middle size that is ordinarily available to you and is a common size for people who are using for storage.
The information regarding the dimensions and size are as follows:
- 150ft² in floor area
- 1160ft³ in volume
- Around 2.4 tonnes in weight
- 20ft x 8ft x 8ft 6 in dimensions
A 20ft high cube shipping container would be as follows:
- 150ft² in floor area
- 1310ft³ in volume
- Around 2.4 tonnes in weight
- 20ft x 8ft x 9ft 6 in dimensions
All of this information is very useful, but it can be difficult to visualise and really understand how much it can hold. You should remember that there will always be a certain amount of space that hasn’t been used up within it, but here are some ideas of what can be fitted into your average 20ft unit:
- 25 3-seater sofas
- 23 wardrobes
- 46 armchairs
- 58 washing machines or dishwashers
- 19 dining room tables and chairs
- 21 fridge freezers
- 116 microwaves
- 46 bookcases
- 193 bikes
- 12 double beds, including mattress
- 19 single beds, including mattress
For an even better idea of what can be fitted into an average 20ft unit, you could have:
- 2 cars
- 7,816 reams of paper
- 4,000 shoeboxes
- 486.799 eggs
- 7,344 gallons of water
- 9,600 bottles of wine
- 48,000 bananas
Storing Home Contents
Some people like to use a container to store the contents of their home, and it can be useful to know what mixture of belongings can fit into your average 20ft unit.
If it is packed properly, you can fit all of this into one:
- 3-seater sofa
- Armchair
- Dining table and chairs
- Bookcase
- Coffee table
- Baby’s crib
- Single bed (with mattress)
- Office desk and chair
- Dressing table
- Washing machine
- Fridge freezer
- Microwave
- Dishwasher
- 2 rugs
- 2 televisions
- 2 stereo systems
- 2 double beds (with mattresses)
- 2 wardrobes
- 4 bikes
And you will still have some room left over for a couple of storage boxes and some miscellaneous items!
These products are amongst the most popular for use as storage, as they can hold a substantial number of belongings. You can either hire self-storage, or if you are looking for longer-term storage, you could consider buying one.
