Cheat Sheet: How Many Moving Boxes Do You Need?

The date has been set. The moving company has been hired. But you still haven't begun to pack because you're unsure of how many boxes you'll need. Will it be five boxes? Will it be 5,000 boxes? Only time will really tell how many boxes you'll end up with on moving day, but until then, this handy cheat sheet should help you. 

As you know the longer you live somewhere, the more stuff you'll accumulate and unless you're a neatnik, clean freak or organizational guru - you might have more than you give yourself credit for. 

We always suggest to declutter and purge before a move - rid yourself of any unwanted and unused items through donation or through a garage sale. 

Packing Supplies

When it comes down to it, you will have to pack every single item in your home (no matter how old it is), so you'll need to make sure that you're using the proper packing materials. 

For fragile items it's best to wrap each item in bubble wrap and unprinted newspaper to protect them from scratches, cracks, chips and breaks. The same goes for your most valuable items as well. If you're unsure of how to pack antiques, framed pieces of art or oddly-shaped items, contact a local moving company or packing service to take care of it for you.  

When it's time to head to the store to buy all your moving boxes be sure to choose boxes that are all uniform in size and shape so that they will stack neatly and easily in the moving truck. It's also important to remember not to overpack your boxes. Overpacking the boxes will cause them to weaken and they will be to heavy to move leading to injuries and a difficult time moving. In this instance moving many lighter boxes is often easier than moving few heavy boxes.