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What size storage unit for a one-bedroom apartment?
Last updated: November 12, 2026.
Most one-bedroom apartments land on a 10×10 storage unit if the whole place is going in, or a 5×10 if you are storing overflow rather than a full household. This page explains that rule of thumb, puts it next to Omaha's published average apartment size, and tells you when to step up or down. Measure before you rent: a nickname is not a floor plan.
The rule of thumb, and its limits
The usual industry shorthand:
- A 5×10 (50 square feet) for studio overflow or a tightly packed, partial one-bedroom: boxes, a mattress on edge, a dresser, a bike, seasonal clothes.
- A 10×10 (100 square feet) for a typical one-bedroom: mattress and frame, dresser, sofa, a small table and chairs, a modest appliance or two, and boxes, packed densely.
- A 10×15 (150 square feet) if the sofa is a large sectional, you have a desk and a book collection, or you want a real aisle.
That shorthand fails when a "one-bedroom" is actually a large apartment with a den, when you are storing someone else's things as well, or when a single piece (a sleeper sofa, a piano, a treadmill) eats the door or the floor. It also fails if you need to live out of the unit and therefore need an aisle, which can drop a 10×10 to a 5×10's worth of stored goods. The parent table is the size guide. For a whole house, see size for a three-bedroom.
Omaha housing figures, used carefully
StorageCafe's October 2026 Omaha page published a housing table: average apartment 905 square feet, average home 1,361 square feet, 204,135 households, 87,383 renters. We cite the 905-square-foot figure because it is a real published Omaha number, and we are careful about what it is not. It is not the average size of a one-bedroom; it is the average apartment in that table, which can include larger units. It is not a storage-unit recommendation. You do not need 905 square feet of storage for a 905-square-foot apartment: you need enough floor for furniture and boxes, stacked, usually in the 50 to 150 square foot range.
Downtown and midtown one-bedrooms, and student apartments near Creighton or UNO, often trend toward the 5×10 or 10×10 conversation. Official campus policies at both schools are that housing does not provide storage; if a student is storing a one-bedroom off-campus apartment, this page and the student storage guide both apply. Access and parking downtown are on the downtown guide.
Prices, packing, and when to get a 10×15
October 2026 advertised Omaha averages: standard 5×10 at $59–$68; standard 10×10 at $89–$102; standard 10×15 at $111–$122; climate-controlled 10×10 at $110–$135. The jump from a 10×10 to a 10×15 was about $20 to $22 a month on those standard averages, for 50 extra square feet. That can be cheaper than renting a second 5×5 ($40–$48) if you are even a little over. It can be wasted money if you are not. Sketch the large items on a 10-by-10 grid, leave an aisle if you need one, and then look at quotes.
Pack sofas on end only if the height and the lease allow, disassemble beds, and put "open first" boxes at the door. How to pack and organization tips are the method. For a move gap of a few weeks, read short-term storage before a minimum term surprises you. The moving checklist covers the rest of a local move. Full price tables: cost guide.
Door width is the silent failure on a one-bedroom move: a sofa that fit through an apartment door may not fit a storage-unit door, especially in an indoor, corridor-style facility. Ask for the door width and the clear height, and walk the path if the unit is not drive-up. Downtown and midtown apartment renters should also read the downtown guide on parking. If you are comparing a 5×10 and a 10×10 and cannot decide, get both quotes. The October 2026 difference in standard averages was about $30 to $34 a month for twice the floor; a second month in the wrong size will erase that arithmetic. Don't rent two 5×5 units as a substitute without pricing a single 10×10 first.
Frequently asked questions
What size storage unit do I need for a one-bedroom apartment?
The usual rule of thumb is a 10×10 (100 square feet) for the contents of a one-bedroom apartment, packed densely. A tight one-bedroom, or one you're only partly storing, may fit in a 5×10 (50 square feet). A spacious one-bedroom with a large sofa, a desk, and a lot of boxes may need a 10×15 (150 square feet). Measure the largest pieces and decide whether you need an aisle. These are rules of thumb, not a promise.
How does that compare with Omaha apartment sizes?
StorageCafe's October 2026 Omaha page published an average apartment size of 905 square feet in its housing table, along with 87,383 renters and 204,135 households. That 905-square-foot figure is an average apartment, not specifically a one-bedroom, and not a storage-unit size. A 10×10 is 100 square feet of floor: you are packing belongings, not reproducing the apartment. Use 905 as context that Omaha apartments are not tiny closets, then measure your actual furniture.
How much does a 10×10 cost in Omaha for a one-bedroom move?
The same as any other 10×10: in October 2026, a standard unit averaged $89 (StorageCafe) to $102 (UnitSight); climate-controlled, $110 to $135. A 5×10 averaged $59 to $68 standard. Those are street-rate averages, not quotes. See the 10×10 guide and the cost guide.
Should a one-bedroom apartment go into climate-controlled storage?
If the load is furniture, electronics, and clothes for a full Omaha summer or winter, climate control is easier to justify. If it is a few weeks of boxed items in mild weather, maybe not. July's average maximum at Eppley is 88.1°F and January's average minimum is 15.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). See the climate-controlled guide.
Sources
- StorageCafe Omaha market page, October 2026 — city, neighborhood, and nearby-city averages, facility count, housing figures, and inventory. Data attributed to Yardi Matrix. Fetched November 12, 2026.
- UnitSight Omaha prices, October 2026 — advertised web-rate averages from 59 facilities (1,106 listings) and the site's methodology (advertised street rates, not existing-tenant prices; listings without prices excluded). Fetched November 12, 2026.
- NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 monthly climate normals, Omaha Eppley Airfield (USW00014942) — January average maximum 33.6°F and minimum 15.2°F; July average maximum 88.1°F and minimum 68.0°F; annual sums of monthly normals: 31.86 inches of precipitation and 27.1 inches of snow; about 134 days with a minimum of 32°F or below. Fetched November 12, 2026.
We're a guide, not a storage facility: we don't rent units or take payments. Corrections: support@omaha-storage.com.