Packing To Relocate: Determine How Many Boxes You'll Need To Move

We’ve Answered One of the Toughest Moving Questions

When you are preparing for a move, there are a lot of logistical details you have to figure out. Those details could be timing your move, getting the help you will need to load a moving truck, a moving truck driver, and so much more. One detail that we often don’t think much about until it’s a necessity is moving boxes. The better you can plan proactively, the less time or money you will waste on moving boxes in the long run. Proactively getting moving boxes sound great in theory but requires one major question to be answered: “how many moving boxes do I need to move” Unfortunately, there is no rule of thumb that can tell you exactly how many moving boxes you will need as every home, and every move, is different. That said, there are several considerations that can help you come up with a clearer picture of the amount of moving boxes you’ll need.

How Many Rooms Do You Need to Move?

Before you can get a clear answer to the question “how many moving boxes do I need to move” you need to assess your own home. The first item to consider is the number of rooms you will be moving to. Naturally, the more rooms in your home, the more boxes you will need to move your home. Using the number of rooms in your home, you can take advantage of a moving box calculator, which can help you figure out everything you will need to move successfully. It’s important to note that the number of boxes you may need is just an estimate and does not take into consideration other specifics that will impact your move.

How Many People Live in Your Home?

The more people you have living in your home, the more belongings you will have in your home – which will require more boxes. This is where simply using rooms in your home can be inaccurate as some rooms may have no people in them and some may have more than one person. Even if you are mindful of the number of people living in your home, there is another consideration that can impact the number of boxes you need for your move.

How Many Belongings Do You Have?

This question isn’t talking about a number of items, but instead should prompt you to consider two things: how long have you lived in your home, and what is your lifestyle? If you lived in your home for just a couple of years and live a fairly minimalist lifestyle, you won’t need nearly as many boxes as a family that is moving their home of the last decade (that may also hold onto a few too many items).

Looking at the full picture of your home, the people within it, how long you resided there, and your lifestyle, you can get a much more accurate idea of the number of boxes you will need for your move. Using a moving box calculator and moving kits as a guide, simply add or subtract boxes from their estimate based on your personal needs and you will be able to answer the question: “how many moving boxes do I need for my move?”