How Big a Storage Unit Do You Need? Barcelona Size Guide

You are told a "locker" fits a few boxes, then discover that at one company a locker is one cubic metre and at another it is one square metre. The unit you pick is too small for the sofa or twice the size you need, and you pay for it every month. Sizing a storage unit is guesswork until you know how operators measure and what they say fits. This guide explains the units, shows the dimensions Barcelona operators publish, says what fits in each and gives a way to work out your own number. Operator descriptions are marketing, so treat them as a guide and measure your biggest items. Some of the operators named in this guide are listed in our directory. A listing is not a ranking or an endorsement and does not change any figure here, and every price below comes from the operator's own page or a named independent source.

Why do m² and m³ confuse people?

Because floor area (m²) and volume (m³) are not interchangeable, and small lockers are sometimes sold by volume. Box2Box's Eixample page lists a locker as 1 m x 1 m and its text describes it as 1 m³, and its page also gives its free pickup limit as 3 m² in one place and 3 m³ in a footnote. CABE lists a locker of 1 m³. Zebrabox gives its extra-small unit as about 2 to 2.5 m² (5 to 7 m³). Ask whether a size is floor area or volume, and what the ceiling height is, because height decides how much you can stack.

What sizes do Barcelona operators publish?

• Box2Box: locker 1 m x 1 m, 2 m² (2 m x 1 m), 3 m² (2 m x 1.5 m), 4 m² (2 m x 2 m), 5 m² (2.5 m x 2 m), 6 m² (3 m x 2 m), 7.5 m² (3 m x 2.5 m) and 9 m² (3 m x 3 m).
• Central Trasteros: small 0.8 to 1.5 m² for a few boxes and small items, medium 1.6 to 2.5 m² for many boxes, furniture and bulky items, and large 2.5 to 4 m² for many boxes, furniture and electrical appliances.
• CABE Trasteros: a 1 m³ locker, then S, M (up to 3 m²) and L, without m² figures for S and L on its page.
• Bluespace: units from 1 m² to 200 m² across its centres, described by capacity rather than area.

What fits in each size?

Bluespace says its small size holds roughly 30 medium cardboard boxes, a sofa or two bicycles, and compares it to a small van, and that its medium size suits contents equivalent to a 60 m² flat or a small office and compares it to a mid-size van, which also suits furniture from a renovation or a house move. Central Trasteros says its small unit suits a few boxes, its medium many boxes and furniture, and its large boxes, furniture and electrical appliances. Bluespace does not publish square metres for these sizes, so ask for the dimensions before you book.

How much space do I need for my things?

A rule of thumb from Storabble is that you need roughly 10 to 15 per cent of your living space, which by our arithmetic is about 6 to 9 m² for a 60 m² home if you are storing most of a household. For part of a household it is far less, so start from a list: the biggest items, the number of boxes and anything tall. Measure the sofa, the mattress and the bike, add a little room to reach the back, and use vertical space with shelving, as Spain Handbook suggests.

Is a bigger unit cheaper per square metre?

Yes, usually. OCU notes that renting a large unit is cheaper per square metre than a small one. On Box2Box's published prices, a 1 m x 1 m locker at 45 euros and a 3 m² unit at 85 euros are about 28 euros per m² for the larger one, and the 9 m² unit at 205 euros is about 23 euros per m², which is our arithmetic. A unit that is slightly too big can therefore cost less per item than a locker you outgrow, but only if you will use the space. See the storage unit price guide for each size's range.

A short checklist before you book

• List the biggest and tallest items and measure them.
• Ask whether the size is floor area (m²) or volume (m³), and the ceiling height.
• Ask whether you can change to a bigger or smaller unit later without a new contract.
• Ask about access: the hours, the lift and how close you can park, which matter on the day you move in.
• Check the notice period and the deposit in the contract before you pay.

Looking for English-speaking storage in Barcelona? Browse by area: All of Barcelona, or by area: Eixample, Poblenou, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Les Corts, Diagonal Mar & Vila Olímpica, Gràcia, El Born & Barri Gòtic and Sants.