How Many Boxes Do You Need?

As a planning rule of thumb, allow around 60 boxes for a typical house move. A studio flat needs 15–25, a 1-bedroom home 25–35, a 2-bedroom home 40–60, a 3-bedroom home 60–100, and a 4–5 bedroom home 80–150 boxes. Always add a 10–15% buffer, unused boxes in good condition can be returned or recycled.

Small boxes (18×12×12") are best for heavy items like books, keep them under 20kg. Medium boxes suit most household items. Large boxes work well for bulky but light items like bedding and duvets. Dish barrels protect fragile china. Wardrobe boxes let you transfer hanging clothes directly from the rail without folding.

Budget for two 66-metre rolls per 15 boxes. A 2-bedroom move with 50 boxes will need roughly 6–7 rolls. It is always worth buying more than you think, running out of tape mid-pack is a common and easily avoidable problem.

Allow 5 metres of bubble wrap per room as a minimum. For a 3-bedroom home, budget for 20–25 metres. If you have a lot of glassware, china, or ornaments, increase this to 10 metres per room. As a cost-effective alternative, use duvets, towels, and clothing to pad boxes.

Allow roughly 15 minutes per box when packing yourself. A 2-bedroom home with 50 boxes takes approximately 12–15 hours total. Start 2–3 weeks before your move, beginning with items you use least often (seasonal clothes, books, spare linen) and leaving essentials until last.

Free boxes from supermarkets and online marketplaces save money but are often irregular sizes and may have weakened walls from previous use. For a full house move, a sensible approach is to use free boxes for lightweight, non-fragile items and invest in new double-walled boxes for heavy, valuable, or fragile belongings.