Free Moving Boxes Are Just Great [But There Is a Snag]

Cheaper is better, you know. And it doesn’t get any cheaper than free. So, if you can get something for free, you do it without a second thought. Why pay for packing materials, for example, when you can easily find free packing boxes for your move? Moving is expensive enough, so any chance to lower the relocation costs is more than welcome.

Yet, cheaper isn’t always better – in fact, it often turns out to be more expensive in the end. To use the above example again, free moving boxes are great, except for one small snag – they don’t provide good enough protection to your items. When using second-hand moving boxes, you’ll save on packing materials, but you may lose money on damaged goods.

If your belongings get damaged during the move – because the old packing boxes weren’t sturdy enough to ensure their safety – it will cost you much more to repair or replace them than it would have cost you to buy quality packing supplies.

So, should you use second-hand packing boxes at all? Are free moving boxes really a good option? Read on to find out:

Should You Reuse Moving Boxes or Buy New?

When packing for a move, cardboard boxes are likely to be your biggest expense as you’re going to need A LOT of them in order to pack up your home. Being able to get some moving boxes without paying for them, therefore, sounds really nice. Yet, it comes with a catch.

Pros of Reusing Packing Boxes

Convenient and versatile, cardboard boxes are widely used for packaging, shipping, and storing purposes. Hence, you can find used cardboard boxes in all kinds of places – your own home (from various deliveries); the homes of friends, colleagues, and neighbors who have recently moved; online (at specialized websites like Craigslist and Freecycle where people offer used packing materials for free); retail stores (from shipments of goods); etc. Unless they’re reused for some purpose, all these cartons will be simply thrown away or recycled. Why not use some of them for your packing needs, then?

• Free moving boxes can save you hundreds of dollars – Brand new moving boxes aren’t very expensive, but you’re going to need between 20 and 30 cardboard boxes of different sizes to pack the contents of a single room. When you do the math, it’s easy to see how much money free moving boxes will actually save you;
• Reusing moving boxes is an eco-friendly way to move house – Standard cardboard boxes can be used several times before they need to be recycled. So, why throw away perfectly good packing containers when you can reuse them and help protect the environment? Used moving boxes provide a green packing option that helps reduce waste and preserve natural resources.

See also: What to do with cardboard boxes after moving?

Cons of Using Second-Hand Moving Boxes

So, used moving boxes are cost-effective, eco-friendly, and easy to come by. Why should you bother purchasing new packing containers then? The answer is simple enough – second-hand packing supplies can’t provide as good protection to your items as brand new packing materials. And the safety of your belongings may be worth the extra cost of buying quality moving boxes.

To be able to make an informed decision about whether to reuse packing boxes or buy new ones for your forthcoming relocation, you need to be well aware of the risks of using free moving boxes.

Reasons to Avoid Used Moving Boxes

As tempting as it may be to use second-hand packing boxes and cut down your moving costs, there are a number of good reasons to avoid doing so:

1) Used Moving Boxes May Ruin Your Items

Whether directly or indirectly, packing in old moving boxes can result in damage to your items:

• Used boxes are weak and may break easily during the move

Corrugated cardboard boxes are tough and sturdy and can withstand great weight without bending or breaking. With each use, however, their structural integrity is compromised – they’re bounced around, tossed and dropped, stacked under heavy items and bumped against one another, dampened by rain and snow, etc. – and they get weaker and less reliable.

All free moving boxes have already been used, of course, so they will have lost their strength – or may even be damaged from the previous uses. If you pack them for moving, they may fall apart during the loading or loading process and cause damage to your items (any delicate and fragile items that have been in the carton may break or sustain damage when they fall out and hit the ground, any nearby items may get scratched or dented or broken by the objects falling off the ruined box, etc.).

Key takeaway – If you use old packing boxes for your move, you run the risk of a weak box breaking under its own weight and causing damage to your items.

• Used boxes may be dirty and unsanitary

Second-hand packing boxes may have traveled thousands of miles, been stored in all kinds of places, and held all sorts of things (from fruits and vegetables to live animals and hazardous chemicals).

Most shipping vehicles and storage spaces aren’t kept clean, so old packing boxes will be covered in dust and dirt. They may also be grimy with stains, oil spots, and various spills from their previous contents.

If you pack your items in such dirty boxes, the dust and grime will be transferred to your belongings and may ruin the more delicate ones.

Key takeaway – If you pack in used moving boxes, you run the risk of a dirty box soiling your items.

• Used boxes may have mold or mildew growing inside them

Used moving boxes may have wet spots or may have sustained water damage in the past (from rain or snow, spills or wet items packed inside). Moisture can not only compromise the integrity and strength of the boxes, but may also cause mold or mildew to develop inside the cartons.

If you use moldy boxes for your move, the harmful microorganisms will spread to your items and will not only ruin them, but may start growing in your new home as well.

Key takeaway – If you use second-hand packing boxes, you run the risk of mold developing on your items.

• Used boxes may be infested

Second-hand cardboard boxes (especially ones that have been used to store or transport clothes or foods and ones that have been left unattended in storage areas, garages, or attics for a long time) may be home to bedbugs, moths, spiders, or other insects.

Needless to say, these pests can wreak havoc on any items you pack inside the infested boxes. What’s more, you’ll literally bring an infestation to your new home – and some of the bugs are quite difficult to get rid of and can cause severe problems.

Key takeaway – If you use old boxes for your relocation, you run the risk of introducing pests to your new home.

• Used boxes may not be of appropriate size

Cardboard boxes come in a wide variety of sizes (small, medium, large), each of which is appropriate for packing different kinds of items. As a rule of thumb, bigger boxes should be used for large, but lightweight items (such as bedding), while medium-sized and smaller packing containers should be used for small but heavy objects (such as books and tools).

See also: Fundamental packing rules for a successful move

When using second-hand moving boxes, however, you may not be able to get ones with the right sizes for your packing needs – you may find only large boxes that will be too heavy for you to move when fully packed, or you may find only small cartons that won’t fit your larger household items, or you may not find any boxes to fit your oddly-shaped possessions, etc.

Yet, when looking for free moving boxes, you’ll take whatever you find, regardless of the cartons’ sizes and shapes. As a result, you may not be able to pack your things as safely and efficiently as you would have done if you had purchased brand new boxes of appropriate sizes.

Key takeaway – If you use second-hand packing supplies, you may not be able to pack your moving boxes the right way and risk damage to your items.

• Used boxes won’t be specialized moving boxes

When buying new moving boxes, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of specialized packing containers – wardrobe boxes, dish boxes, picture boxes, file boxes, etc. – to perfectly suit your packing needs. These specialty boxes are designed to provide the best possible protection to the items they’re intended for and make packing much safer and easier.

You’re quite unlikely to find such specialized packing containers when hunting for free moving boxes, so your packing task will be more difficult and your items won’t be well protected during the move.

Key takeaway – If you pack in used cardboard boxes, you won’t be able to provide your items with quality protection and risk damage to your valuables.

2) Second-Hand Moving Boxes May Cause Property Damage

As already briefly mentioned above, second-hand packing supplies can cause damage not only to your belongings, but also to your property:

• Used packing boxes are weak and may break during the move. If that happens while the boxes are being taken out of your old home or inside your new one, the items falling out of the broken carton may cause damage to the floor and/or to other household items located nearby – scratches or dents in hardwood floors and wood furniture, broken tiles on tile floors, stains or rips on carpets and upholsteries, etc.;
• Second-hand moving boxes may be dirty, moldy, or infested and may, therefore, introduce various germs, bacteria, allergens, and/or pests to your new home. Mold and bedbugs constitute the worst-case scenarios – both are extremely difficult to remove and can cause serious health issues (such as allergy symptoms).

See also: How to prevent property damage when moving

3) Old Moving Boxes May Cause Personal Injuries

The risks of using old moving boxes that you got for free are not limited to material damages only – they may involve physical harm as well:

• When a used cardboard box breaks open during the move, its contents may fall on the feet of the person who is carrying the carton. If there were heavy items inside, this may result in serious personal injury;
• When you don’t have packing boxes of appropriate sizes, you may need to pack a number of small but heavy items in a single large carton. The box will become too heavy to safely lift and carry around and you may strain your back or drop the carton on your feet while trying to haul it from your home to the moving truck (or vice versa).

See also: How to avoid accidents and injuries when moving

4) Free Moving Boxes Boxes May Cost You Plenty of Time (and Money)

Last but not least, when hunting for free moving boxes, you risk wasting a lot of precious time – and incurring some extra expenses too.

Finding used packing boxes in good condition will take many hours that may add up to a few days. Can you really afford to lose so much time looking for used packing supplies – time that you could use to complete important relocation tasks, finish your moving preparations, say goodbye to family and friends, or take some well-deserved rest? Even if you manage to save some money by collecting free moving boxes, wasting several days on the task may not be worth it.

See also: How to save time when moving

Besides, driving around the city and visiting various businesses in search of free cardboard boxes will not only cost you time, but will incur additional expenses as well – for fuel, parking fees, etc. Even if you’ve found free packing supplies online, you’ll probably have to cover their shipping cost too. In the end, it may turn out that you’ve spent more money for used boxes than you would have paid for new packing containers.

To sum it up: Using free moving boxes that are not in good condition can lead to damages, injuries, and loss.

Related: Moving mistakes that will cost you

How to Reduce the Risks When Using Free Moving Boxes

Despite the risks of using second-hand packing materials, getting what you can for free is a good way cut down your moving expenses. And if you have enough time to search for used packing boxes in good condition, then the endeavor may be really worth it.

If you’re cautious enough, you may succeed in getting quality moving boxes for free, so you can pack with minimal expenses and minimal risks for your belongings, your property, and your health. Just make sure you know what to look for when hunting for free moving boxes:

• Make sure the cardboard boxes you’re considering for your packing needs have no holes, rips, or weak spots. Check the seams of the boxes for wear and tear (these are the places that are most easily damaged and get worn out the fastest), inspect the bottoms of the cartons for any signs of damage, and see if the lids fit well (or the flaps close completely at the top);
• Take only cardboard boxes that are perfectly clean and don’t smell musty. Consider what was stored in the cartons before you decide to pack your personal belongings in them – keep in mind that food leftovers, grease stains, and spilled liquids will not only soil the items you pack inside the dirty boxes, but may also attract pests or result in mold growth on your belongings;
• Look for watermarks and other signs of water damage – even if the boxes are currently dry, it’s not a good idea to use them for moving if they have sustained water damage in the past (moisture compromises the integrity of the cardboard and causes mold growth in the cartons);

  

• Reinforce the bottom and the corners of each used box with quality packing tape to reduce the risk of the carton breaking open during the move;
• Line the bottoms of the boxes with crumpled paper or bubble wrap to create a protective layer for your items;
• Use plenty of padding inside the boxes (crumpled paper, bubble wrap, etc.) to provide better protection to your items and to insulate them from the bottom and the walls of the old cartons;
• Do not make second-hand boxes too heavy – keep them up to 40 pounds each;
• Fill the boxes to the brim with crushed paper (for added stability) and seal them tightly (to keep them secure during the move).

Keep in mind though that no matter what precautions you take, old boxes just cannot be as strong, safe, and reliable as new ones – so, you’re highly advised to invest in brand-new, top-quality moving boxes for your fragile valuables and other treasured delicate items you’d hate to see damaged during the move.

If you have a lot of expensive items, sentimental items, or specialty items to move, it may even be a good idea to hire professional packers who will bring all the needed supplies and will pack your belongings in the safest and most efficient way possible. Needless to say, it is essential that you hire professional movers as well – to ensure that all your items arrive at your new home intact and unscathed. Good luck with your move!

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