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What size storage unit for a studio, a 1-bedroom or a 2-bedroom flat?
Updated 17 October 2026 · 5-minute read
The right question isn’t ‘how many m² is my flat?’ but ‘how many m³ do my belongings take up?’. Here are the average volumes per home, the method for converting them into a unit floor area, and the cases where you should take the next size up.
Average volumes per home
Removal companies estimate the volume of a furnished home at 2 to 2.5 m³ per m² of living space when everything goes, furniture included. In storage, you dismantle, you stack and you don’t keep everything, so the real volumes are lower.
| Home | Volume to store | Recommended unit |
|---|---|---|
| Student room | 3 to 5 m³ | 2 or 3 m² indoor unit |
| Studio | 6 to 10 m³ | 4 or 5 m² indoor unit |
| 1-bedroom flat (French “T2”) | 12 to 16 m³ | 6 m² unit or 7 m² half container |
| 2-bedroom flat (“T3”) | 18 to 25 m³ | 20 ft container (14 m², 33 m³) |
| 3-bedroom flat, house | 30 m³ and over | 2 containers, or a container + an indoor unit |
The method in three steps
- Add up the volumes of your belongings. Benchmarks: three-seater sofa 2.5 m³, dismantled double bed 1.2 m³, dismantled two-door wardrobe 1.2 m³, fridge 0.9 m³, table and 4 chairs 1.2 m³, standard box 0.06 m³ (so 30 boxes ≈ 2 m³).
- Divide by 2: that’s a sensible stacking height, with boxes piled on top of the furniture. The result is a floor area in m².
- Add 15% so you can move around and reach what you’ll need. If you won’t be back before the end, you can do without it.
Example for a 1-bedroom flat: sofa (2.5) + dismantled bed (1.2) + mattress (0.6) + dismantled wardrobe (1.2) + chest of drawers (0.6) + table and chairs (1.2) + fridge (0.9) + washing machine (0.6) + 35 boxes (2.1) = 10.9 m³. Divided by 2: 5.5 m². With the margin: 6.3 m². The 7 m² half container will do; the 6 m² unit is a little tight and the 5 m² too small.
When to take the next size up
- You’re not dismantling your furniture: allow 30% more volume.
- You have long or fragile items that nothing can be stacked on (mirrors, TV, bike).
- You’ll often come back for things: plan an aisle down the middle.
- You’re torn between two sizes: take the larger one, an overfull unit costs more in time and breakages.
Container or indoor unit for a 1-bedroom flat?
Similar floor area, different use: 6 m² indoor unit or 7 m² half container? Choose the half container if you load from the car and your belongings can cope with temperature swings (furniture, appliances, crockery). Choose the indoor unit for books, archives, delicate fabrics and instruments.