Can you store a car in a storage unit? Yes, if the site allows vehicles and the unit is big enough, and for most cars that means 10ft by 20ft, or 200 sq ft. A 10ft by 10ft unit is 3.05m long, too short for anything bigger than a Smart ForTwo.
Storage sites can also set rules on fuel, batteries and insurance, so get permission in writing before you sign. The size question is simple arithmetic once you know the car’s length and the unit’s; the rules take longer, and they catch more people out.
This guide covers both, with real cars measured against real unit sizes.
Table of Contents
Can a car fit in a 10×10 storage unit?
Almost never. Ten feet is 3.048m, and almost every car on the road is longer than that.
A Smart ForTwo, at 2.69m, is the exception: it fits with about 36cm to spare. A classic Mini is 3.054m long, which is 6mm longer than the unit, so even the smallest classic will not go in with the door shut.
Anything bigger is out by a long way. A Mazda MX-5 is 3.92m, nearly 90cm too long, and a VW Golf at 4.28m overshoots by more than a metre.
What size storage unit does a car need?
10ft by 20ft for most cars, and 10ft by 15ft only for small ones. Here is how the common sizes compare with real cars:
| Unit | Floor area | Inside length | Which cars fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10ft x 10ft | 100 sq ft | 3.05m | A Smart ForTwo (2.69m), and nothing larger |
| 10ft x 15ft | 150 sq ft | 4.57m | A Mazda MX-5 (3.92m) or Ford Fiesta (up to 4.07m); a VW Golf (4.28m) with under 30cm spare |
| 20ft container | about 147 sq ft | 5.87m, but only 2.33m wide | Most cars by length; a Golf (1.79m wide) leaves about 27cm each side |
| 10ft x 20ft | 200 sq ft | 6.10m | Almost any car, including a Range Rover (5.05m long, 2.05m wide) |
Length is only half of it. You need room to walk round the car and open at least one door, which is why a unit that looks big enough on paper often is not.
A 10ft-wide unit is 3.05m across, leaving about 1.26m beside a Golf and a metre beside a Range Rover. A 20ft container is where width bites: the car goes in, but you may have to climb out through the boot. Steel containers also sweat when the temperature drops at night, and with no ventilation the damp stays inside with the car.
Drive-up unit, container or indoor unit?
A drive-up unit or a container, because you have to drive the car in. Indoor units are reached along corridors, and a car does not go through a corridor.
Check the door before the floor. A standard 20ft container door opens 2.29m wide and 2.26m high, and a roller door on a drive-up unit varies by site, so measure the car across its mirrors and compare the two.
Then check the hours. Self-storage access runs on the site’s opening times, and a car you cannot reach when you need it is a car you have to plan around.
What will the storage site ask before you store a car?
Whether it is allowed at all, and on what conditions. Vehicles are not standard self-storage goods, so the answer is in the licence agreement rather than on the price list.
Fuel and battery: One UK operator’s terms exclude vehicles unless the fuel and oil are fully drained and the battery isolated. A national chain lists petrol and diesel as prohibited items, so ask before you assume a car with fuel in it is welcome.
Insurance: Self-storage goods cover often excludes cars. One of the main self-storage insurers says its policy will not cover a car in storage, so you will need your own laid-up or SORN cover.
Tax or SORN: A storage unit is private land, so a car declared SORN with DVLA can legally sit there, as GOV.UK sets out. A SORN car can only be driven to a pre-booked MOT, though, so it needs tax and insurance for the drive in, or a trailer; our guide on how to SORN a car off the road covers the declaration.
How do you get a car ready for a storage unit?
Clean it, take the weight off the brakes, and deal with the battery and fuel before you lock the door. Nobody on a self-storage site does any of this for you.
- Wash and dry it. Road salt and dirt keep working on paint and sills for as long as they sit there.
- Raise the tyre pressures. The same patch of each tyre carries the car’s weight for months, and flat-spotting is the result.
- Clean the brake discs and leave the handbrake off. Chock the wheels instead, so the pads cannot rust onto the discs and leave you with a seized handbrake.
- Sort the battery. A battery conditioner or trickle charger needs a socket; without one, disconnect the battery.
- Decide on fuel. If the site allows it, brim the tank and add a fuel stabiliser, ideally with E5 rather than E10. An empty steel tank collects condensation.
- Use a breathable cover. It keeps dust off while letting moisture escape; a plastic sheet traps it against the paint and invites mould.
- Leave nothing edible inside. Rodents move into still cars, and the air box and wiring are where they settle.
When is specialist car storage the better choice?
When the car is valuable, such as a classic or a supercar, the stay runs to a season or longer, or you cannot get there to check it. Our comparison of car storage unit or specialist storage sets out the full trade-off.
At Pitstop 66 in Stalybridge, in Tameside, ten minutes from the M60, the 8-step pre-storage process does the preparation above for you, wash included. Both tiers include a daily visual check, a gated site, 24/7 CCTV and a monitored alarm.
Secure indoor storage costs from £150 a month including VAT for the first three months, then from £165; dehumidified storage costs from £200 a month including VAT, then from £225, with humidity held at 55% relative humidity. Battery conditioning and a car cover are add-ons, charged on top. The minimum term is one month, then notice.
We can also collect the car from anywhere, which solves the SORN problem of getting it there; it is a charged service and we keep the charge as low as we can. For a season or several years, see long term vehicle storage, or car storage in Manchester for the wider area.
Call 0161 464 7494 or send us the details and we will tell you which option suits the car.
Storage unit questions
Can you store a car in a storage unit in the UK?
Yes, if the operator allows vehicles and the unit is big enough. Get the permission, and any conditions on fuel or the battery, in writing.
Can a car fit in a 10×10 storage unit?
No, unless it is a Smart ForTwo. A 10ft unit is 3.048m long, and even a classic Mini is 6mm longer than that.
What size storage unit do I need for a car?
10ft by 20ft for most cars. A 10ft by 15ft unit takes a small car such as a Mazda MX-5, but leaves under 30cm spare with a VW Golf.
Can I keep a SORN car in a storage unit?
Yes. A storage unit is private land, so the SORN stays valid; you just cannot drive the car there, so plan on a trailer.
Does a storage unit need power for a car?
Only if you want a battery conditioner. Ask whether the unit has a socket before you sign; without one, disconnect the battery.
Rather someone else looked after the car?
We prepare the car, check it every day and can collect it for you. Storage at Pitstop 66 in Stalybridge costs from £150 a month including VAT, with a one-month minimum. Call 0161 464 7494, 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday, or send us the details.
