There is a lot to do when moving, whether across town or the state. Dealing with transferring utilities, organizing and packing all your prized possessions (maybe donating or selling the less-prized items), coordinating movers, cleaning, and updating your address on everything. Setting aside the time to pack up your home only to realize you don’t have enough moving boxes can really delay your packing process. So, how do you know how many moving boxes you need? The experts at Expert Movers have all the advice you need for your move, including figuring out your boxes for moving.
Types of Moving Boxes
Using the right types of boxes can make a significant difference in the ease and safety of the move. Differences in box size, design, and materials can make moving much easier and more organized.
Moving Box Sizes
Moving boxes come in a variety of mostly standard sizes, ranging from small boxes perfect for heavier items to extra large boxes perfect for bulky but lightweight items such as pillows or a whole bunch of feathers.
When taking inventory of your home for packing, keep in mind that larger items don’t mean a need for larger moving box sizes. A huge box completely full of books is a recipe for disaster – strains, pulled muscles, exhaustion, and dropping a large box full of books on someone’s toes is never fun. Luckily, the team at Expert Movers are professionals are carrying boxes, loading and unloading trucks, and even packing up your stuff.
The exact dimensions of boxes for moving vary by brand and manufacturer, but the cubic feet of standard packing boxes are generally the same.
- Small Boxes (1.5 cubic feet) are perfect for small, yet heavier items. Think books, candles, tools, and small appliances.
- Medium Boxes (3 cubic feet) are suitable for many kitchen items, including utensils, appliances, and plasticware, as well as toys, small electronics, and decorative items.
- Large Boxes (4.5 cubic feet) are great for bulkier but lighter items like linens, towels, curtains, and pillows.
- Extra-Large Boxes (6 cubic feet) are used for the bulkiest yet lightest weight items, your decorative throw pillows, stuffed animals, and bedding.
When determining how many moving boxes you need, you’ll end up needing the most small and medium boxes. That’s where most of your stuff will fit.
Specialty Boxes for Moving
There are bound to be items you’re packing that are awkward to fit in a standard-shaped box. That’s why specialty moving boxes exist. These make it easier to pack those awkward items and protect the more fragile items.
Wardrobe boxes are basically cardboard closets – tall boxes with a bar for hanging clothes. For dishes and glassware, there are boxes with dividers to keep items safe. For mirrors and artwork, there are adjustable, flat boxes perfect for protecting these items. TVs are sold in special boxes and moved in special boxes, too. Often, TV boxes for moving are double-walled and include some type of padding for extra protection. Other boxes are designed for odd-shaped objects such as lamps, sporting equipment, and musical instruments.
Calculating How Many Moving Boxes You Need
How full is your house? Are you a total minimalist? Or do you hold on to almost everything? If you have a garage, basement, attic, or all of the above, there’s probably more stuff that you may have even forgotten about.
Step one in determining how many moving boxes you need is organizing your stuff. Packing room by room is the best way to load boxes, and unpacking in your new home is so much easier. Within each room, sort items by size and weight. Separate items that may need a specialty box.
Wardrobe boxes often have around two feet of hanging space, making it easy to determine how many of those you need by measuring how much space your clothes take up in your closets. Counting how many dishes and glasses you need to pack gives you a clear number of glassware boxes you’ll need. The number of TV boxes and mirror or artwork boxes you need is easily determined by the number of TVs, mirrors, and art pieces you have to pack up.
After separating the special items, determining how many moving boxes you need for everything else is a little more challenging. Sorting all of your stuff can provide a visual of what might fit in a box. There are moving box calculators that take into account the size of your home, the number of bedrooms and other rooms, and how much of a minimalist or maximalist you are. On average, the number of boxes for moving needed based on home size are:
Studio Apartment
- Small boxes: 5-10
- Medium boxes: 3-6
- Large boxes: 2-4
- Wardrobe boxes: 1-2
1-Bedroom Apartment
- Small boxes: 10-15
- Medium boxes: 7-10
- Large boxes: 4-6
- Wardrobe boxes: 2-4
2-Bedroom Apartment or Small House
- Small boxes: 15-20
- Medium boxes: 10-15
- Large boxes: 6-8
- Wardrobe boxes: 3-5
3-Bedroom House
- Small boxes: 20-30
- Medium boxes: 15-25
- Large boxes: 10-12
- Wardrobe boxes: 4-6
Expert Movers knows all about packing. If you order boxes through us, we’ll work to make sure you have just the right amount. We can even help with packing with our full packing and partial packing services. We’ll bring our own boxes, packing paper, padding, tape, and anything else so you don’t even need to think about figuring out how many boxes you need.
Where to get Boxes for Moving
If you want to pack everything, or most things, on your own, that’s great too! So now that you know how many boxes you’ll need, where do you get some? How much are moving boxes?
Uniform boxes from retailers – Home Depot and Lowes, Staples, Uniline, or even Amazon are one option. These retailers sell individual boxes, packs of boxes, and moving kits designed for various sizes of moves. How much moving boxes may depend on the retailer, but prices generally range from a few dollars for standard boxes to fifteen to twenty dollars or more for wardrobe boxes, TV boxes, and other specialty boxes.
If budget is more of a concern, and uniformity isn’t, boxes can be free! Ask your office if you can take home any boxes heading towards the recycling bin. If you have a friend who recently moved, they probably have a collection of boxes. Used moving boxes are somewhat common to find on online marketplaces such as Facebook.
Before you even start packing, start saving boxes from your online shopping. While these boxes may not fit a lot of larger items, the smaller boxes are great for desk accessories, small electronics, tools, and knickknacks. Saving boxes from your TV, appliances, and dish sets for an eventual move ensures a perfect fit for your items. Boxes for moving don’t even need to be brown cardboard boxes; there are household items that can be very useful in a move. Wheeled suitcases are great for items like books; duffle bags are perfect for shoving in blankets, linens, and your hoodie collection. Take inventory of alternative box options before calculating how many moving boxes you need to buy or acquire.
Expert Movers are the Experts!
Expert Movers know that the boxes are possibly the most critical component of a move. If you’re packing on your own (or with the help of friends) and purchase boxes through Expert Movers, we’ll deliver them free of charge. If we’re handling everything for you – from packing to loading, and unloading, we’ll bring our own boxes.
Moving is stressful. Packing is stressful. Taking the time to figure out how many, what type, and where to get the boxes you need might just be one thing too many on your moving to-do list. Expert Movers is ready to take that off your hands. Contact us for expert advice, or to get your free estimate for any of our services.
