How Many Moving Boxes Do You Actually Need?

As a rough guide, a studio needs around 10 to 15 boxes, a one-bedroom home 20 to 30, a two-bedroom 30 to 50, a three-bedroom 50 to 70, and a four-bedroom house anywhere from 70 to well over 100. Those are starting figures rather than exact numbers, because how many you really need depends on how long you have lived there, how much you own, and how much you declutter before you pack. Buy a mix of sizes instead of all one type, and get a few more than you think so you are not caught short on the last night. Here is how to size it up for your own home.

Rough box counts by home size

Use these as a starting point and adjust for how much you own:

• Studio or bedsit: about 10 to 15 boxes
• One-bedroom home: about 20 to 30 boxes
• Two-bedroom home: about 30 to 50 boxes
• Three-bedroom home: about 50 to 70 boxes
• Four-bedroom or larger: 70 to 100 or more

A long-settled family home at the top of a range can easily need more, while a minimalist renter who moved in recently might need far fewer.

The box types and what each is for

Most moves use a handful of standard box types, and getting the mix right matters more than the grand total:

• Small boxes, sometimes called book or wine cartons, for heavy items like books, tins, tools and crockery
• Medium boxes for the bulk of the house, from kitchenware to toys to bathroom cupboards
• Large boxes for light, bulky things like linen, pillows, doonas and lampshades
• Wardrobe boxes with a hanging rail so clothes travel on their hangers
• Picture and mirror cartons, flat and adjustable, for framed art, mirrors and glass tabletops

As a rule, the heavier the contents the smaller the box, so nothing becomes too heavy to lift safely.

What changes the number you need

Two homes of the same size can need very different numbers of boxes. The biggest factors are:

• How long you have lived there. Years in one place means more has accumulated in the cupboards and the garage.
• The kitchen and the bookshelves. Both eat small boxes quickly.
• Wardrobes. A house full of clothes may need several wardrobe boxes on top of the cartons.
• How much you declutter first. Every bag you donate or bin is a box you do not have to fill or move.
• Whether you kept the original boxes for televisions and electronics, which cuts down on cartons and wrapping.

Work it out for your own home

Rather than guess, it helps to look at what you actually own, room by room. Our inventory calculator lets you list your furniture and boxes and see roughly how much space the move adds up to, which makes it easier to judge both how many cartons to buy and what size truck you will need. Weight your order towards small and medium boxes, and get 10 to 15 per cent more than your estimate, since flat-packed spares cost little and running out mid-pack is a headache. Many suppliers take back unused boxes, so buying a few too many is the safer mistake.

Common questions

Is it better to have too many boxes or too few? Too many. Spare flat boxes take up almost no room and can often be returned, whereas running short the night before means a late dash to find more.

What size should most of my boxes be? Weight the order towards small and medium boxes. Large boxes are only for light bulky items, and a stack of oversized boxes tends to get overloaded and become too heavy to carry.

Do I need wardrobe and picture boxes? They are optional but save a lot of work. Wardrobe boxes keep hanging clothes tidy and quick to move, and picture cartons protect framed art and mirrors far better than a blanket.

How can I use fewer boxes? Declutter before you pack, use suitcases and drawers to hold clothes and linen, and keep the original cartons for televisions and other electronics.

If you would rather not count it all yourself, tell us what is in your home and we will use the inventory to plan the boxes, truck, crew and likely duration. We will confirm the standard half-hour local rate, and you can also request a fixed-price option.