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

How many boxes you will need to pack up your home will vary greatly from move to move.

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

On the other hand, if you buy fewer boxes than needed, 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 move, then you’re likely to be 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.

FACTORS that determine the number of boxes you’ll need

The average number of moving boxes needed to pack the contents 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 consider a few important factors so that the average quantity of packing boxes gets more customized for your specific 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 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.

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

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.

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 lead 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 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.

You may also like to read: Packing Timeline: What to Pack When for Moving. In this guide, we share a useful packing timeline to ensure you are packed and ready for moving day.

Number of moving boxes by ROOMS

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 you will need 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:

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

You may also like to read: How to Pack for a Move in 3 Days!. Need to move in a hurry? This guide will show you how to packa home for moving in just 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.

This box calculation method can be more precise and will give you a better idea of how many packing boxes you’ll need.

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

You may also like to read: What to Pack First When Moving. In this guide, we suggest the order in which to pack your home for moving.

STANDARD moving boxes

Now that you have a rough idea about how many boxes you’ll need to pack 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 move.

You may also like to read: Where to Get Free Moving Boxes: Complete Checklist. Nothing is better than free, so in this guide, we share the best place to get free packing boxes.

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

SPECIALITY moving boxes

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 packing easier and safer, because those containers have been designed to protect specific types of household items such as plates, 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:

• 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.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Hanging Clothes for Moving. In this guide, we share various ways in which hanging clothes can be moved to your new home.

Dish barrel boxes

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

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 $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.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Dishes for Moving. In this guide, we share tips for packing your crockery.

Mirror and picture boxes

Mirror and picture boxes are ideal for transporting fragile framed art pieces such as pictures, paintings, and mirrors.

Picture boxes can be adjusted to fit perfectly around a framed item, thus providing an excellent level of protection. 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.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors for Moving which gives detailed packing instructions for your framed items.

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 – should you still keep those original containers, that is.

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

You may also like to read: How to Pack Lamps and Lampshades for Moving in which we give detailed instructions on how to pack lamps and lampshades for moving home.

Advice about calculating how many boxes you need for moving

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 is to assume that each wardrobe box will hold roughly two feet of hanging clothes.

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 a 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.

For more guides on packing for a home move and to discover ways to make your home move easier, cheaper, and safer, be sure to visit our home moving blog.