Packing
Boxes and Moving Supplies Guide
Buying the right boxes costs less than buying the wrong ones twice. Here is what each size is for, how many a typical home needs, and how to pack so nothing shifts in the truck.
How many boxes you need by home size
These are working numbers for a home where the larger furniture is moved by us and the boxes carry everything else. Add roughly a fifth if you are packing a garage, a workshop or a home office.
- Studio or one bedroom: 20 to 30 boxes, plus five wardrobe boxes.
- Two bedroom: 35 to 50 boxes, plus eight wardrobe boxes.
- Three bedroom: 55 to 75 boxes, plus ten to twelve wardrobe boxes.
- Four bedroom and larger: 80 to 120 boxes, plus twelve to sixteen wardrobe boxes.
If you would rather not estimate, we can pack for you and bring the materials; ask for a packing quote with your estimate.
Box types and what goes in each
Small box
Books, cans, tools, anything heavy. Small boxes are for weight, so they stay liftable.
Medium box
Kitchenware, small appliances, folded clothes, toys, office supplies.
Large box
Light and bulky: bedding, towels, cushions, lampshades, plastic containers.
Wardrobe box
Hanging clothes on their hangers, and anything long that should not fold.
Picture and mirror carton
Framed art, mirrors and flat screens, packed flat rather than standing.
Packing materials worth buying
- Kraft paper or packing paper for wrapping plates and glassware individually.
- Bubble wrap for electronics, and for anything with a screen or a glass door.
- Packing tape and a tape gun: cheaper tape fails when a box is stacked.
- Stretch wrap to hold drawers shut and bundle furniture parts together.
- Mattress bags, because a mattress on a truck picks up marks without one.
- Labels or a marker: write the room and a one word contents list on the side.
How to pack a box that survives the truck
- Heavy items at the bottom, light items on top, and nothing heavier than you can lift comfortably.
- Fill every gap: a box that rattles will crush when another box sits on it.
- Wrap each item individually and stand plates on edge, never flat in a stack.
- Tape the base as well as the top, and run tape across the seam, not along it.
- Keep the weight under about 50 pounds, and mark fragile boxes on the sides, not only the top.
Wardrobe boxes
A wardrobe box is the cheapest way to move clothes without re-ironing or refolding everything. Hang what you can, fill the base with shoes and bags, and leave the hanging rail until the box is in the truck so the clothes do not slide.
Whether we sell or rent supplies
Ask the office what supplies we bring on a packing job and whether boxes are sold, rented or included. Anything we provide is itemised on your estimate before you book.
Storage
Storage options and any cost are confirmed with the office; nothing on this page should be read as a storage price. See the moving rates page for how billed time works.
Would you rather we packed it?
We bring the boxes, the wrapping and the crew, and you keep the weekend.
See packing services