How Many Boxes for Moving Do You Need? This Many.

Packing will be the next big project in your moving checklist. And then, one of the puzzling questions that will seem to worry you more than most is just how many packing boxes you will need to get the packing job done.

With the exception of your furniture and appliances, all of your possessions will need to be packed for protection into many, MANY cardboard boxes of various types and sizes.

That is pretty obvious but here’s the tricky part: it can be really tough to estimate the number of moving boxes needed for a residential move. Why?

How many boxes you will need to pack up your home will vary greatly from move to move – that is, that number will be unique to each different relocation scenario.

Now, if you purchase many more cardboard boxes than you need, you’ll waste money during an already expensive house move.

On the other hand, if you buy much fewer cardboard containers than necessary, you’ll waste valuable time making extra runs to a local mover or a nearby store to get more.

If you’re looking for a formula that will give you the exact number of boxes for your particular residential move, then you’re likely to get disappointed when you find out that no such formula exists.

The moving box calculators you’ll find online will only give you a very rough number of the boxes you’ll need.

However, that’s still enough to get an average quantity so that you can start packing without further delay.

FACTORS that determine the number of boxes you’ll need

According to statistical data, the average number of moving boxes needed to pack the content of one home is approximately 60.

Now, the good news is that you already have a reference number (60 boxes!) you can use to get a rough idea of what you’ll be up against.

The bad news is that you’ll still need to take into consideration a few important factors so that the average quantity of packing boxes gets more customized for your specific relocation needs.

Your home may have much fewer or much more items to pack than average homes and the types of boxes you need will be unique to the things you own and plan to take with you.

1. How many rooms are there in your home?

The more rooms there are in your house or apartment, the more items there should be for sorting and packing into moving boxes.

That’s not always the case but it’s a good thing to keep in mind when you look for ways to calculate the number of boxes you’ll need to pack up your stuff.

2. How many people live under the same roof?

Each family member will have their own personal belongings that he or she will be taking with them.

Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the number of things that children will be taking with them – not before those things are safely packed into cardboard boxes, of course.

3. What’s the square footage of your residence?

One way to get an approximation of the number of boxes is to take into account whether you’re moving out of a studio apartment, a 1-bedroom apartment, a 2-bedroom apartment, or a 3-bedroom house.

Most online moving box calculators are based on the number of bedrooms in a home.

However, the actual square footage of your home can also enable you to calculate roughly how many cardboard boxes you’ll need to complete the packing task successfully.

4. What type of lifestyle do you lead?

You may prefer to lead a minimalist lifestyle or you may like to be surrounded by tons of personal possessions.

Or you may just leave a modest lifestyle – the golden mean between being a minimalist and a pack rat.

5. How many years have you spent in your home?

Most people tend to accumulate more stuff with each passing year spent in the same home. And that’s exactly why occasional decluttering instances of your home can be so beneficial for you, especially when the time to move out comes around.

Get rid of all unwanted items prior to packing so that you get to use fewer cardboard boxes to pack up your things. Remember that moving boxes will still be your biggest expense when packing for a move.

Packing Timeline: What to Pack When for Moving

Number of moving boxes by ROOMS

How many packing boxes will you need for your next move? As you can see, the approximate quantity of cardboard containers will depend on the above-mentioned factors.

Of course, other important factors can also play an important role in determining that quantity but they will be case-specific and it’s up to you to take them into consideration when purchasing brand-new cardboard boxes or getting your hands on used moving boxes.

For two persons living a modest lifestyle, you should expect the following number of boxes classified according to the number of bedrooms in your home.

Studio apartment

See below how many boxes you will need to pack a studio apartment for a move:

• 16 medium boxes;
• 14 large boxes;
• 8 extra-large boxes;
• 4 wardrobe boxes;
• 3 picture boxes.

1-bedroom apartment

Find below how many boxes to have to pack a 1-bedroom apartment for moving:

• 21 medium boxes;
• 17 large boxes;
• 9 extra-large boxes;
• 4 wardrobe boxes;
• 4 picture boxes.

2-bedroom apartment

How many boxes will you need to pack a 2-bedroom apartment for a move?

• 31 medium boxes;
• 23 large boxes;
• 11 extra-large boxes;
• 4 wardrobe boxes;
• 6 picture boxes.

3-bedroom house

To pack a 3-bedroom house, you’ll need the following number of moving boxes to finish the packing job successfully:

• 46 medium boxes;
• 32 large boxes;
• 14 extra-large boxes;
• 4 wardrobe boxes;
• 9 picture boxes.

How to Pack for a Move in 3 Days!

Number of moving boxes by SQUARE FOOTAGE

Another way to calculate how many boxes you need to move house is to use the square footage of your home as a reference point rather than the number of rooms in it.

Under specific circumstances, this box calculation method proves to be more precise and will give you a better idea of how many packing boxes you’ll need to buy or get for free to pack up all of your household items except your furniture and home appliances.

So, if the home you’re leaving has

less than 700 square feet

• Small boxes: 15
• Medium boxes: 12
• Large boxes: 6
• Extra-large boxes: 4

between 700 square feet and 900 square feet

• Small boxes: 17
• Medium boxes: 16
• Large boxes: 8
• Extra-large boxes: 5

between 900 square feet and 1200 square feet

• Small boxes: 24
• Medium boxes: 23
• Large boxes: 12
• Extra-large boxes: 7

between 1200 square feet and 1600 square feet

• Small boxes: 33
• Medium boxes: 32
• Large boxes: 17
• Extra-large boxes: 11

between 1600 square feet and 1800 square feet

• Small boxes: 38
• Medium boxes: 36
• Large boxes: 21
• Extra-large boxes: 13

between 1800 square feet and 2200 square feet

• Small boxes: 43
• Medium boxes: 42
• Large boxes: 27
• Extra-large boxes: 16

What to Pack First When Moving

STANDARD moving boxes: types and sizes

Now that you have a rough idea about how many boxes you’ll need to pack and move your household items, let’s discuss the types, sizes, and dimensions of those various cardboard boxes so that you can select the most suitable containers for your own move.

Where to Get Free Moving Boxes: Complete Checklist

Standard moving boxes are made from 100% recyclable cardboard and can be found in 4 sizes: small, medium, large, and extra-large.

	Dimensions (inches)	Capacity (cubic feet)	Gross weight limit (lbs.)	Approx. price per box ($)
Small boxes	18 x 18 x 16	1.5	65	1.00
Medium boxes	16 x 12 x 12	3.0	65	1.50
Large boxes	18 x 18 x 24	4.5	65	2.00
Extra-large boxes	24 x 18 x 24	6.0	65	2.50

SPECIALTY moving boxes: types and dimensions

In addition to the standard packing boxes described above, you shouldn’t forget that you’re going to need a good number of specialty moving boxes as well.

Those special-purpose cardboard boxes should make your packing task easier and safer simply because those containers have been designed to protect specific types of household items such as clothes, kitchen plates, kitchen glasses, lamps, mirrors, pictures, books, and so on.

WARDROBE boxes

These boxes look and act like portable mini closets (wardrobes) and are ideal for packing and transporting hanging clothes.

They are tall and have a metal rod on the top where you can hang your expensive garments so that they stay protected from dust, dirt, moisture, and wrinkles.

Wardrobe boxes are offered in 3 different sizes for increased functionality, ease of use, and convenience:

• SMALL wardrobe boxes. Dimensions: 24” x 24” x 34”. Capacity: 11.3 cu/ft. Price: $11.
• MEDIUM wardrobe boxes. Dimensions: 24” x 24” x 34”. Capacity: 11.3 cu/ft. Price: $12.
• LARGE wardrobe boxes. Dimensions: 24” x 24” x 48”. Capacity: 16 cu/ft. Price: $14.

How to Pack Hanging Clothes for Moving

Dish barrel boxes

Also known as dish packs, those specialty boxes are double-walled for ultimate protection of extra-fragile items such as kitchen plates, glasses, or other extremely breakable items.

In reality, using dish barrel boxes to pack fragile items is like using two regular cardboard boxes closely fitted into one another.

The standard size of a dish pack is 18” x 18” x 28” and has a capacity of 5.25 cu/ft. The approximate price of this specialty box is approximately $6, but you may choose to use it together with a Cell Kit – a cardboard insert that further divides the box into various sections that can hold fragile items individually. A Cell Kit usually costs around $6 and is sold separately from the dish barrel.

How to Pack Dishes for Moving

Mirror and picture boxes

Mirror and picture boxes are ideal for transporting fragile frame art pieces such as pictures and paintings. Also, those specialty items work great when you want to move some of your large mirrors to the new home.

Picture boxes are rather special because they can be adjusted and then re-adjusted to fit perfectly around a framed item, thus providing an excellent level of protection for your framed artwork pieces. Those boxes come in 3 different sizes:

• Standard picture boxes. Dimensions: 37” x 4” x 27”. Capacity: 2.3 cu/ft. Price: $5.
• Large picture boxes. Dimensions: 48-1/4” x 4-5/16” x 32-11/16”. Capacity: 3.7 cu/ft. Price: $7.
• 4-piece mirror and picture box. Highly adjustable, can hold frames with sizes up to 40″ x 60″ x 3-1/2″. Price: $8.

How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors for Moving

Lamp boxes

Lamp boxes are tall and are perfect for holding tall and often oddly-shaped items such as lamps and vases. Still, it’s best to use the boxes that your lamps came in when you purchased them – in case you still keep those original containers, that is.

Lamp box dimensions: 12” x 12” x 40”. Capacity: 3.33 cu/ft. Price: $5.

How to Pack Lamps and Lampshades for Moving

ADVICE when calculating how many boxes for moving you need

Hopefully, by now you should have a pretty good idea of how many boxes you will need to have in order to have a smooth packing process from start to finish.

Here are a few final tips when the time comes to estimate the number of moving boxes needed for a residential move.

New boxes vs. used boxes

Another factor that you should keep in mind is whether the boxes you’ve prepared are brand-new or second-hand. The reason for this is that new boxes are generally stronger than used ones and can hold more items inside without breaking under the weight.

So, when using second-hand boxes, it’s better to use more boxes with fewer items in them than to overstuff them, thus running the risk of having them break mid-move.

Wardrobe boxes

A good rule of thumb when calculating how many wardrobe boxes you will need to pack up your clothes for moving is to assume that each wardrobe box will hold roughly two feet of hanging clothes.

So, measure up your closets to determine the approximate number of wardrobe boxes you’ll need to secure.

Accurate box calculation

Without a doubt, the most accurate way to estimate the number of boxes for a move is to have a professional moving consultant visit your home in person and do an in-home survey.

That way, you’ll get precise moving boxes estimation that will include the number and type of boxes you will need to start packing up your home.

The best part? That calculation will be 100% customized to your move, and in particular, to the items you’ve decided to move with you.

Get in touch with top-rated movers and request an in-home survey.