How Many Moving Boxes Do I Need?

When most people decide to relocate, they tend to focus on factors like selling their home, purchasing their new one, or choosing a moving company.

It’s also essential to know how many moving boxes you’ll need before you begin packing. But, not everyone knows how to calculate this.

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know to answer how many boxes do I need for my household move?

So, How Many Moving Boxes Do I Need?

There are a few questions you’ll need to ask yourself to decide how many boxes you’ll need. 

How Long Have I Lived Here?

The longer you’ve lived in your current residence, the more likely you’ve acquired various possessions over time. Things like pots, pans, and books can quickly take up space.

How Many Square Feet Is My Home?

Larger homes often translate to more boxes since you’ll have more space to store more stuff.

So, if you live in a home with plenty of square footage, you’ll need to anticipate obtaining a sufficient number of moving boxes.

How Many People Are Moving With Me?

As previously mentioned, ‘more’ of something directly results in needing more boxes. Moving with your spouse is drastically different than moving with your spouse and children.

What Size Boxes Do I Need?

In general, you’ll want to have a similar number of small and medium boxes and about half as many large boxes. The typical sizes are as follows:

  • Small: 1.5 cubic feet
  • Medium: 1.5-3.0 cubic feet
  • Large: 2.5-3.5 cubic feet

So, if you have ten small boxes, you’ll likely need ten medium boxes and five large boxes.

How to Calculate

While there are a handful of factors at play in determining how many of each you’ll need, the base number will typically depend on your home’s square footage.

  • 25 boxes for a home between 400 and 700 sqft (10 small, 10 medium, 5 large)
  • 40 boxes for a home between 700 and 1250 sqft (16 small, 16 medium, 8 large)
  • 60 boxes for a home between 1250 and 1700 sqft (24 small, 24 medium, 12 large)
  • 80+ boxes for a home over 1700 sqft (30+ small, 30+ medium, 20+ large)

From here, you’ll have to determine if you have additional things like collections or lots of momentos. These added items might require additional boxes.

More Packing Supplies

A smooth packing and moving process requires gathering the necessary supplies. Make sure you also have plenty of the following equipment on hand as you pack

  • Unprinted Packing Paper
  • Bubble Wrap
  • Markers
  • Labels
  • Box Tape Dispenser
  • Box Tape Refills
  • Box Cutter

Be prepared and get your moving supplies ahead of time. That way, you can enjoy a safe, well-organized move.

Estimating Moving Boxes

Moving doesn’t have to be stressful.

With the above information, you’ll be well on your way to determining how many boxes you’ll need for your household move.Want to learn more about how to introduce yourself to your new community once you move? This article has plenty of useful info.