How Many Boxes Do I Need For A Move?

Preparation is key when it comes to a successful move. From the outset you want to plan and organize as much as you can to keep your move smooth sailing throughout the process. One way to organize is to estimate the amount of moving boxes you’ll eventually need.

When it comes to estimating how many moving boxes you’ll need, there are a few different ways of getting to that magic number. Here are some ways of understanding the number of boxes you’ll need:

• Total square footage of your home
• Number of rooms
• Lifestyle and how long you’ve lived there
• How much you plan to declutter before moving

There are different methods on how to calculate the number of moving boxes you’ll need. Of course, the caveat being that each home is unique in what they have. While you can use this as a general rule of thumb, be sure to take inventory of any unique items in your home that would change these estimates.

We did not include the estimate for telescopic boxes as that can be calculated by the number of artwork and pictures hanging in your home.

How to Calculate Based on Total Square Footage

The most common way to calculate the number of packing boxes needed is by working off the total square footage of your home. The following are the amount of boxes you’ll need based on the total square footage of your home.

400 - 700 square feet (1 bedroom house)

• 10 - 15 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 10 - 15 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 5 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 3 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 1 - 2 Wardrobe boxes (11-16 cubic feet)
• 4 - 5 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

700 - 1250 square feet (2 bedroom house)

• 15 - 23 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 15 - 22 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 5 - 11 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 4 - 6 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 3 - 5 Wardrobe boxes (11-16 cubic feet)
• 4 - 6 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

1200 - 1700 square feet (3 bedroom house)

• 32 - 37 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 25 - 35 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 16 - 20 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 10 - 12 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 5 - 8 Wardrobe boxes (11-16 cubic feet)
• 4 - 7 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

1700 - 2200 square feet (4 bedroom house)

• 37 - 42 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 35 - 47 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 20 - 26 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 12 - 15 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 8 - 10 Wardrobe boxes (11-16 cubic feet)
• 4 - 9 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

How to Calculate Based on Rooms

Calculating based on rooms is an easy way to understand the amount of boxes you’ll need. Start by going to each room to make an inventory of what items you have. A rough calculation on the number of boxes you need per room is: 10 small boxes, 8 medium boxes and 5 large boxes. Here we’ll go through an approximate amount of boxes needed by type of room.

Bedrooms (per bedroom)

• 1 - 3 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 3 - 6 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 3 - 8 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 1 - 2 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 3 - 6 Wardrobe boxes (11-16 cubic feet)

The main thing to keep in mind when determining the amount of boxes you'll need for a bedroom, is largely dependent on the size of your closet. The amount of boxes mentioned, should be enough for each bedroom including the master bedroom. However, if you store a lot of your seasonal items in your master bedroom, consider adding a few extra boxes to the list.

Pro Tip: Since wardrobe boxes are more expensive than regular moving boxes, a good way to estimate how many wardrobe boxes you’ll need is to plan 1 wardrobe box for every 18” of closet railing.

Living Room

• 2 - 4 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 3 - 4 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 2 - 4 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 1 - 2 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)

If your dining room serves only as a dining room, this is what a typical household would need. However, if you have any display cases for books, antiques, etc., additional boxes will be needed. For example, for every 18” of shelf space dedicated to books, you’ll need a small moving box with a size of 1.5 - 2 cubic feet.

Dining Room

• 1 - 2 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 1 - 2 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 2 - 4 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 1 - 2 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

The dining room generally doesn’t require as many moving boxes since the main items in this room are furniture. Most furniture items can be transported without the use of a moving box. If your dining room doubles as a display area for your fine china, you may consider buying more dish barrel boxes depending on the amount of fine china you’re packing.

Kitchen

• 2 - 4 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 5 - 6 Medium boxes (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  
• 4 Large boxes (2.5 - 3.5 cubic feet)
• 2 Extra-large boxes (3.6+ cubic feet)
• 4 - 6 Dish barrel boxes (5.25 cubic feet)

How frequently you use your kitchen will help determine how many boxes are appropriate. If you cook a lot at home, you’re going to need more boxes than if you are more of a takeout person. Or if you like to bake, that’s also another indicator that you’ll need more moving boxes.

Bathroom

• 2 - 4 Small boxes (1.5 cubic feet)
• 1 Medium box (1.5 - 3 cubic feet)  

Bathrooms are an easy room to pack, given they don’t hold too much to begin with. Ideally, you’ve used most of your towels as protection around fragile items to minimize the amount of boxes needed.

Other Things To Consider

While it would be ideal to have a standard answer for how many boxes you’ll need simply based on square footage or number of rooms, unfortunately, it’s not that simple. There are so many other variables to think about.

Do you have attic space, do you have a garage, do you have a lot of sports gear, do you have a lot of clothes, do you plan on decluttering before your move, are you sentimental and dislike throwing things out, or are you a Marie Kondo fan and keep to a minimalist lifestyle?

All these things will factor into the number of boxes you’ll need. Another important factor to think about is how long you’ve lived in your current place. The longer you’ve lived at a place the more likely you’ve accumulated things over time. Always take stock of any circumstances that may change the standard amount of boxes needed. Start with one room first before you commit to buying all the boxes. You’ll have a better gauge of how many boxes are needed once you begin.

If you would like to learn more about what other packing supplies you’ll need, refer to our Learning Center article on ‘The Best Order To Pack Your Home’ and check out the ‘Packing Supplies’ section.