Moving Companies Q&A: How Many Boxes Do I Need?

When you’re preparing to move, one of the first obvious essentials is boxes. The real question is, how many do I need?  Without a lot of experience moving, you can over estimate how many you need, or underestimate a certain type of box you’re going to need. Either way, it could cause you to go over budget, or prolong the packing process.

Here’s a quick guide to help you figure it out in advance and stay on budget.

Think about how many rooms you have in your home

Obviously, the number of boxes you’ll need to pack your valuables in depends on how many items you have in your home to pack. The not-so-secret-secret is in organizing by rooms.  Start by counting how many rooms and bathrooms are in your home, and include smaller areas, that are easily overlooked, like your garage, closets or other storage areas. By writing down how many rooms you have in your home, and jotting down key items in those areas – bathrooms will be smaller items, offices may have heavier items like books – you can start getting an idea of how many boxes, and what sizes you’ll need to pack up your items.

Determine your packing style

Do you want to pack intricately, puzzling as many items into one box as possible, or do your items require a lot of space and protective wrapping in between?

If you pack intricately, then you may need fewer boxes since you’re fitting more of your possessions, and using every space in the box. On the other hand, a lighter, more careful packing technique may not use as much space. Since you’re packing valuables that are easy to break, your packing supplies will most likely take up more room than you expect. For example, if you’re packing fragile trinkets (easily overlooked items in the initial planning process) you may need two or three boxes for a fragile packing style over the style of fitting as many as you can into one box.

Get moving quotes that use in-person surveys

When your moving quote includes an in-person survey, you can get a true estimate of how many boxes you’ll need for each room in your home before you move.

Reputable moving companies provide moving quotes that include an in-person or video survey so that you can get an accurate estimate of your moving costs and know what to expect during the moving process, including knowing how many boxes you’ll need.

Take advantage of packing services

While it’s absolutely possible for you to figure out how many boxes you’ll need for your move, if you’re short on time or patience, it could be a game changer to call in a little help.

One of the best ways to do this it to take advantage of packing services provided by professional moving companies. Professional movers have experience with packing hundreds of homes, so they’ll have an idea of what size and number of boxes you’ll need to get the job done. Not only that, but they are literally trained in how to best pack items so that they stay safe during a move. By leveraging the help of packing services, you won’t have to worry about packing your boxes or not ordering enough boxes in time for your moving day.

Final thoughts

Knowing how many boxes you’ll need for your move can help you save time and money. But it requires some preparation. By knowing what packing materials you need in advance, you can ensure your move runs smoothly.

Suddath^® offers full service planning, packing and moving services and will help you plan the perfect move for your budget. Click here for more information or to get a moving quote.