What Actually Fits in an 8x20 Storage Vault? A Grey-Bruce Guide to Our Most Popular Unit

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August 20th, 2026

If you've called either of our locations recently, there's a good chance you've asked about the same thing: the 8x20 vault. It's one of the sizes we get the most questions about, and with our Dog Dayzz of Summer Sale offering 50% off 8x20 vaults for the first three months, it's also a popular choice right now. But "8x20" doesn't mean much until you picture what can actually go inside one. So this guide is exactly that: what an 8x20 vault can hold, who it's a good fit for, and how to load one so you're not fighting your own boxes every time you need something out of it.

First, What Are We Actually Talking About?

An 8x20 vault gives you 160 square feet of floor space, with 20 feet of depth and 8 feet of width. The setup is slightly different between our two locations. At Owen Sound, 8x20 vaults are located inside the building with interior hallway access. That means your belongings aren't exposed directly to the outdoor weather while you're loading and unloading. At Port Elgin, 8x20 vaults are accessed from outside. The same generous 8x20 footprint applies, but the access setup is different. Both locations give you a practical amount of space for furniture, boxes, seasonal belongings, renovation items, and general household overflow.

Who Actually Rents an 8x20?

An 8x20 is a popular choice for people who need more than a small storage unit but don't need a large commercial space. People moving between homes. An 8x20 gives you room to store a substantial amount of furniture, boxes, appliances, and household belongings while you're between homes, waiting for a closing date, or getting a property ready to sell. Households doing a major renovation. If you're renovating a kitchen, replacing flooring, or tackling another larger project, an 8x20 can provide valuable space for furniture and household items that need to be temporarily moved out of the way. Anyone needing extra household or seasonal storage. From patio furniture and sports equipment to holiday decorations and garage overflow, an 8x20 gives you enough room to organize larger collections of belongings without moving into a much larger storage space.If you're only clearing out a single room, a smaller unit may make more sense. If you're storing a very large household's entire contents, you may need something larger. The 8x20 sits comfortably in between.

What Can Fit in an 8x20 Vault?

The easiest way to understand an 8x20 is to think about the types of items it can accommodate. Depending on how you arrange everything, an 8x20 can hold items such as:

A bedroom set, including a mattress, dresser, nightstands, and headboard
Living room furniture such as a sofa, loveseat, coffee table, and TV stand
Major appliances such as a washer, dryer, or refrigerator
A substantial number of medium-sized moving boxes
Seasonal items such as patio furniture, a snowblower, and holiday decorations
Bikes, sports equipment, and general garage overflow
Furniture and household items temporarily removed during a renovation

The important part is that these are examples of what can fit in the space, not a guarantee that all of these items will fit together at once. How much you can store ultimately depends on the size and shape of your belongings and how efficiently everything is packed. If you're not sure whether an 8x20 is the right size for your items, our staff at either location can help you think through your storage needs before you book.

Six Tips for Loading an 8x20 Vault the Right Way

Renting the right size only gets you halfway there. How you load it determines whether the unit works for you or becomes a wall of boxes you dread opening. 1. Build a centre aisle first. Before anything else goes in, decide where your walking path will be and keep it clear. A vault packed wall to wall with no access means unloading half the unit just to reach one box. 2. Load furniture along the walls, not the middle. Dressers, bookshelves, and appliances should line the perimeter where practical. This keeps the centre open for boxes you'll need to stack and access more often. 3. Heaviest and least-needed items go in first, at the back. Off-season gear, holiday decorations, and anything you won't touch for months belongs deepest in the unit. Keep frequently needed boxes near the door. 4. Disassemble what you can. Bed frames, table legs, and shelving units take up far less space when broken down than when assembled. It also helps protect them from getting scratched or dented by items stacked nearby. 5. Use uniform box sizes and label every side. Mismatched box sizes waste vertical space and make stable stacking harder. Labeling all four sides, not just the top, means you can read a label without pulling boxes down. 6. Leave a little breathing room around the walls. Avoid packing belongings so tightly that they're pressed against the walls. A little space can make it easier to organize, access, and check on your belongings over time.

Why Choose an 8x20 Vault?

The 8x20 is popular because it gives you a lot of usable floor space without requiring a much larger storage unit. At Owen Sound, the indoor hallway access is an added convenience when you're loading and unloading. At Port Elgin, the 8x20 units are accessed from outside, giving you direct access to your unit from the property.Whichever location you use, the key advantage is the same: 160 square feet of storage space to organize furniture, boxes, seasonal belongings, renovation items, and household overflow.

Renting Before Labour Day

Right now, an 8x20 vault at either location comes with 50% off your first three months, along with a free truck when you move in to help get everything there in the first place. Units at this price are limited, and the offer runs out once you're past Labour Day, Monday, September 7. If you want to talk through whether an 8x20 fits what you're storing, give us a call: Owen Sound: (519) 376-8831. Port Elgin: (519) 389-7700. Offer applies to 8x20 vaults only for the first three months. Some restrictions may apply. See staff for details.