What fits in a 20ft shipping container?
A 20ft shipping container holds a surprising amount. As a rough guide, it fits the contents of a typical three to four bedroom house, including lounges, beds, a fridge, washing machine, a dining setup and a stack of moving boxes, with space left to walk in and reach things. For trade and business use, a 20ft container comfortably holds tools, materials, machinery and pallets of stock. The exact amount depends on how bulky your items are and how well you pack, so the numbers below are a practical starting point, not a hard limit.
Because Stock'n Lock delivers the container to your site and it stays there for the whole hire, you load it at your own pace and keep the key the whole time. That makes it easy to test as you go rather than guess everything up front.
What fits in a 20ft container for a home move or declutter
If you are moving house or clearing space, a 20ft container is the size most Perth households reach for. Here is the kind of thing it handles without a struggle.
Furniture and appliances
- Lounge suites, armchairs and a coffee table
- Two to three beds with mattresses and bed frames
- A fridge, freezer, washing machine and dryer
- Wardrobes, drawers, bookshelves and a dining table with chairs
- A TV unit, desks and outdoor furniture
Boxes and the smaller stuff
- Kitchenware, clothes and linen in moving boxes
- Tools, sporting gear and garden equipment
- Bikes, prams and seasonal items like the Christmas tree
For a clear-out or a home that is between addresses, this is where mobile storage in Perth earns its keep. The container sits on your driveway, you fill it over a weekend, and nothing has to leave your property. If a renovation is the reason you are packing up, renovation storage keeps your furniture safe and out of the trades' way until the work is done.
What fits in a 20ft container for trades and business
On a job site or for a growing business, a 20ft container works as a lockable shed that arrives ready to use. Inside, you can fit power tools, hand tools, fixings, timber, off-cuts, ladders, scaffolding components, a generator, and pallets of materials or stock. Many trades use one as a secure base where everything lives in one place instead of being shuffled between a ute, a garage and the site.
If you run a site team, having on-site trade storage dropped right where the work happens cuts down the daily loading and unloading and keeps expensive gear locked away overnight. Because it stays put for the whole hire, it becomes a fixed part of the site setup rather than something you cart back and forth.
How packing affects what fits
Two people with the same 20ft container can fit very different amounts depending on how they pack. A few simple habits make the space go a lot further.
- Go vertical. Stack boxes and stand mattresses and table tops on their edges to use the full height.
- Fill the gaps. Pack soft items like linen and clothes inside drawers, the fridge and gaps between furniture.
- Heavy on the bottom. Put appliances and heavy boxes down low, lighter and fragile items up top.
- Leave a path. If you need to get to things during the hire, keep a walkway down the middle so you are not unpacking everything to reach one item.
How to be sure a 20ft container is the right size
The honest answer is that it depends on what you own and how you pack. If you have a large home, a lot of bulky items, or you are storing both household goods and a vehicle, it is worth writing a quick list of your big items and talking it through with us. We deliver by tilt tray or crane to suit your access, so we can also check the container will fit where you want it to sit.
If you are weighing up sizes or want to know more about 20ft shipping container hire in Perth, the options and access details are all on our site.
Get a 20ft container delivered to your site
If a 20ft container sounds about right for your move, renovation, trade gear or stock, we can deliver a lockable, weatherproof one straight to your driveway, yard or job site, leave it for as long as you need, then collect it when you are done. Drop-off and pickup are included and there are no hidden fees. Take a look at shipping container hire in Perth or call us on 0416 692 022 and we will help you work out the right fit.