Rather we packed it?
Full or part packing by our own crew, all materials brought by us, everything labelled by room.
Packing service →Packing · free tool
How many boxes do I need to move house?
Answer nine quick questions and you will get a materials list you can work from. Most calculators badly underestimate kitchens. This one does not, because we load them into the van every week.
Since 1977real load figures
These are working estimates from nearly fifty years of loading vans, not a promise. Pack a few spare boxes: everybody needs more than they think, and unused ones are easy to return.
Where the numbers come from
Every figure here is a medium box, because that is the size most of a house goes into. We have built the model from what our crews actually load rather than from a generic table, which is why the kitchen figure looks high compared with other calculators. It is not high. A large kitchen with a well-stocked pantry, a full set of pans and a cupboard of appliances will take thirty boxes on its own, and it is the room that catches people out on the Thursday before a Friday move.
The two questions at the bottom do most of the correcting. How full the rooms are matters more than the size of the house, and how long you have lived somewhere is the best single predictor of what is in the loft and the garage. Ten years in the same house adds roughly a fifth to the total.
This list assumes you are packing yourself. With a full house move you get some free boxes, the quantity worked out when we quote, plus some tape, and you can buy more if you want a bigger buffer. Everything else on the list, wardrobe cartons included, is yours to buy, and our packing materials guide sets out what to get and what to avoid. If you would rather not deal with any of it, our packing service arrives with all the materials and takes the spares away.
Boxes and tape
Double-walled boxes delivered to your door. An agreed quantity comes free with a full move, and you can buy more.
Buy removal boxes →What to buy, and what not to
Packing paper, bubble wrap, covers and tape. The honest version, including the things not worth your money.
Packing materials guide →Packing · good to know
How many boxes do I need: your questions
How many boxes do I need to move a 3-bed house?
For an average three-bedroom house with an average kitchen and a part-used loft, expect somewhere around 70 to 90 boxes across all sizes. The two things that move that figure most are the kitchen and how long you have lived there.
Why does the kitchen need so many boxes?
Kitchens hold more, in smaller and heavier items, than any other room. A large kitchen can take 30 boxes on its own, which is more than most people budget for the whole downstairs.
Do I get free boxes with my move?
If you are packing yourself, we deliver some free boxes with your move, the quantity worked out when we quote, plus some tape. Paper, bubble wrap and wardrobe cartons are yours to buy, and you can buy extra boxes from us if the free quantity is not enough. Book our packing service instead and all the materials are included.
How many rolls of tape will I need?
Roughly one roll per fifteen boxes, and never fewer than three. Some tape comes with your boxes, so buy the difference. Use polypropylene tape, as the cheap vinyl sort loses its grip in a cold van.
Should I use newspaper to wrap things?
No. Newsprint ink transfers onto china, glass and anything light coloured. Use plain packing paper, which is the same stuff without the ink.
How far in advance should I start packing?
Two to three weeks for the things you rarely use: the loft, books, out-of-season clothes and the good china. See our moving house advice for a full countdown.
Moving in Huddersfield or Kirklees?
We will work out your free box quantity when we quote and deliver them before the day so you can start packing, and the crew who bring them are the crew who load the van.