20ft vs 40ft container: which do you need?
In short, choose a 20ft container if you are moving a typical home, storing trade tools and materials, or clearing space during a renovation, and choose a 40ft container only if you have roughly double that to store and the room on site to take it. A 20ft suits most Perth households and small to mid jobs. A 40ft is the call when a 20ft would clearly run out of space, for example a large family home, a big stock holding, or a long-term site setup with a lot of equipment. The other deciding factor is just as important as capacity: how much flat space you have and how easy the access is.
With Stock'n Lock, whichever size you pick gets delivered to your site and stays there for the whole hire, so you are choosing the box that fits your stuff and your space, not one you have to keep emptying and refilling at a yard.
What a 20ft container holds
A 20ft container fits the contents of a typical three to four bedroom house, including furniture, appliances and a stack of boxes, with space to walk in. For trades, it holds tools, fixings, timber, machinery and pallets of stock. It is the size most people need and it sits neatly on a standard driveway or yard.
Pick a 20ft if you are:
- Moving a standard home and want everything in one secure place
- Storing furniture during a renovation
- Setting up on-site trade storage for a working crew
- Storing seasonal stock or business overflow
What a 40ft container holds
A 40ft container is twice the length, so it gives you close to double the floor space and holds about twice as much. It suits a large home with a lot of bulky furniture, a business holding a large amount of stock, or a long job where a lot of equipment needs to live on site. The catch is the footprint. It needs a longer flat area to sit on and a longer, clearer run for the delivery truck.
Pick a 40ft if you are:
- Moving or storing a large home and a 20ft clearly will not cut it
- Holding a large volume of stock or materials
- Running a long-term site that needs a lot of gear in one place
The deciding factor most people forget: site space and access
Capacity is only half the question. The other half is where the container will sit and how it gets there. A 40ft container needs roughly twice the length of a 20ft on the ground, plus clearance for the truck. On a tight driveway, a steep block, or a site with overhead wires or low branches, a 40ft may not be practical even if you could fill it.
We deliver by tilt tray or crane to suit your access, so awkward sites are often still workable, but the size you can take is partly set by your space. If you are not sure, a quick chat about your driveway or yard saves a wasted delivery. You can see the access notes on our shipping container hire in Perth page.
When two smaller containers beat one big one
Sometimes the answer is not one 40ft but a 20ft that stays on site, or even a second container later. Because the container stays on your property for the whole hire and you keep the key, you can fill one steadily rather than rushing to pack a giant box in one go. If space is tight, a 20ft is often the more flexible choice.
How to choose with confidence
Write a quick list of your main items, then measure the flat space where the container will sit and note anything in the delivery path. That gives us enough to recommend a size that fits both your gear and your site. If you are moving house, our notes on moving house storage in Perth walk through how people use a container through a move.
Not sure which size to book?
If you are weighing up a 20ft vs 40ft container and want a straight answer for your situation, tell us what you are storing and where it needs to go. We will recommend the right size and the right delivery method, then leave it on your site for as long as you need with drop-off and pickup included and no hidden fees. See shipping container hire in Perth or call us on 0416 692 022.