How Many Boxes Do You Need to Move?

Moving can be one of the most stressful things you'll ever do in your life. In fact, according to one survey, moving is more stressful than getting a divorce or having children. There is so much to consider before you even start packing, from getting rid of things you don't want to take with you to buying moving boxes and other packing materials.

A little preparation can go a long way and figuring out how many boxes you need to move before you get started can help make your move smoother and less stressful. Read on to learn how many boxes you'll need based on your specific circumstances.

Factors that Determine How Many Boxes You'll Need

There are many factors that affect the number of boxes you'll need, and they can be used to help determine how many boxes you should buy.

• Type of home (apartment, average home, large house)
• Number of rooms
• Size of rooms
• Number of people who live in the home
• The amount of stuff you have
• Packing style

Take a walk through your home and look around at your belongings. Are the rooms extra-large, resulting in more stuff even if your home isn't cluttered by any means? Do you have lots of valuable items that will need to be carefully packed? Will you be shoving items in boxes as fast as you can or will you be carefully wrapping each item individually? Will a team of movers be carrying your boxes so that you can pack them full or will you have to do the carrying on your own? All of these things will factor into how many boxes you'll need.

Moving Box Count by Room

Though every move is different you can get a rough estimate of how many boxes you'll need by taking a look around each room and making note of the items you own and how they'll need to be packed. For instance, a dining room with plenty of breakable precious family heirlooms and little else may require as many boxes and a bedroom full of personal items since the breakable items will need to be carefully packed with plenty of box fillers like bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

Here is a chart that can help you get an idea of how many boxes you'll need in each room, though it should serve as more of a jumping-off point to decide how many boxes you'll need rather than a hard and fast guide.

Room Type	Minimalist	Average	Pack Rat
Kitchen	5 small 5 medium 4 large 2 x-large	7 small 7 medium 5 large 3 x-large	10 small 12 medium 8 large 4 x-large
Living Area	3 small 2 medium 2 large 2 x-large	4 small 5 medium 5 large 3 x-large	6 small 7 medium 7 large 4 x-large
Dining Room	1 small 2 medium 1 large 1 x-large	2 small 3 medium 1 large 1 x-large	3 small 4 medium 3 large 2 x-large
Master Bedroom	2 small 5 medium 5 large 2 x-large	3 small 7 medium 6 large 3 x-large	5 small 10 medium 10 large 5 x-large
Bedroom	2 small 3 medium 2 large 2 x-large	2 small 5 medium 5 large 2 x-large	3 small 7 medium 7 large 3 x-large
Bathroom	2 small 2 medium 2 large 1 x-large	3 small 2 medium 3 large 1 x-large	5 small 3 medium 5 large 2 x-large

There's No Perfect Formula

It's important to note that every household is different, and therefore the number of boxes you'll need can't be perfectly predicted, even by moving professionals. You'll need to take it into account if you're a minimalist in the kitchen but a borderline hoarder in the bathroom, for example.

Despite how difficult it can be to determine how many boxes you need, try not to stress about it too much. There are always more boxes in the world if you need them, and it's better to have extra than not enough. Happy packing and moving!