How many moving boxes do I need?
Most people underestimate. The quick answer: a 1 bed flat needs about 20–25 boxes, a 2 bed home 30–40, a 3 bed home 50–70, a 4 bed home 80–110 and a 5 bed home 120 or more. Use the table as a starting point, then adjust for how much stuff you actually have.
Boxes by home size
| Home | Typical boxes | Our kit |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1 bed flat | 20–25 | 1 bedroom moving kit (25 boxes) |
| 2 bed home | 30–40 | 2 bedroom moving kit (40 boxes) |
| 3 bed home | 50–70 | 3 bedroom moving kit (70 boxes) |
| 4 bed home | 80–110 | 4 bedroom moving kit (110 boxes) |
| 5 bed home | 120+ | 5 bedroom moving kit (140 boxes) |
Want a number for your home? Try our box calculator: tell it your rooms and it suggests boxes, tape and paper.
Boxes by room
- Kitchen: usually the most boxes in the house. Allow 8–15 medium boxes: plates, glasses, pans, tins and small appliances are heavy and need to be packed small.
- Living room: 6–10 boxes. Books and DVDs in medium boxes; cushions, throws and lamps in large ones.
- Each bedroom: 5–10 boxes, plus a wardrobe box with hanging rail or two for hanging clothes.
- Bathroom: 1–3 medium boxes.
- Home office: 5–10 medium boxes. Paperwork is heavier than it looks.
- Loft, garage or shed: anything from 5 to 30. This is the one most people forget to count.
What pushes the number up
- Lots of books, vinyl or paperwork (all heavy, so they need more, smaller boxes).
- A full loft, garage or under-stairs cupboard.
- Children's toys and hobby kit.
- Having lived somewhere a long time. Ten years in one house usually means a lot more than the bedroom count suggests.
Packing tip: Order a few more than you think you need. Running out the night before the move is far more stressful than having five spare boxes for the loft.
Medium or large?
Roughly two-thirds medium and one-third large works for most homes. Heavy things go in medium removal boxes so no box is too heavy to lift; light, bulky things go in large removal boxes. Our guide to what goes in medium vs large boxes has the detail.
Don't forget the rest
- Tape: one 66 m roll seals roughly 20–25 boxes top and bottom.
- Packing paper: a 5 kg pack (280 sheets) wraps the crockery and glasses for an average kitchen.
- Bubble wrap: for pictures, mirrors, screens and ornaments.
- Wardrobe boxes: about one per full wardrobe.
All our moving kits include tape, paper and bubble wrap in proportion to the boxes.
Questions
How many boxes do I need for a 3 bedroom house?
Most 3 bedroom homes need 50 to 70 boxes: roughly 35 to 50 medium and 15 to 20 large. Allow more for a full loft, lots of books or a big kitchen.
How many boxes do I need for a 2 bedroom flat?
A 2 bedroom flat usually needs 30 to 40 boxes. Flats with little storage are at the lower end.
How many boxes fit in a van?
It depends on the van and the furniture going with them, so plan boxes by room rather than by van size.