How many moving boxes do you need? Count it room by room

Most moves take more cardboard boxes than people expect. A studio usually needs 10 to 18. A 2-bedroom runs 30 to 42. A 4-bedroom house can pass 80. Those are the ranges moving companies and box calculators plan around, and they're a fine starting point. Your home isn't average, though, so below the quick table there's a per-room count you can total yourself. Counts here are in cardboard boxes; the tote translation comes at the end.

Box counts by home size

Each range covers the apartment version of its label. A house runs higher: a garage adds 10 to 20 boxes and extra closets 3 to 5 each, which is why a house usually takes the next package up, not a bigger range.

Count your own number

Ranges by home size are averages. Your number comes from your own rooms:

Those ranges assume full, separate rooms. In a studio, the kitchen, living, and sleeping space merge. Count the whole main room as 8 to 14 and use the low end of everything else, and a studio lands in its 10 to 18 range even though the room lines look bigger.

What pushes a number up: years in the same place, kids, a home office, hobby gear. Closets and garages cause most of the underestimating. Every closet is 3 to 5 boxes nobody pictures, and a garage or shed adds 10 to 20 of tools, holiday bins, and camping gear. Count them before you pick a size. A recent move, small closets, or a genuinely minimalist streak pulls the number down.

How many boxes for a 2-bedroom apartment?

30 to 42 cardboard boxes for a typical 2-bedroom apartment, and the kitchen takes 10 to 15 of those on its own. Here's the count worked through with the room table: kitchen 11, living room 8, bedrooms 7 and 6, bathroom 2, hall closet 2. That's 36, right in the middle of the range. A 2-bedroom house runs higher once the garage and extra closets come in; count them, and take the next package up if you land past the range.

How long does it take to pack a 2-bedroom apartment?

Plan on 2 to 3 full days of actual packing, spread over a week or 2. A schedule that works: start a week or more out with the stuff you won't touch again, like storage, books, off-season clothes, and decor. Then about a room per evening. The kitchen gets its own full session near the end, because you're using it until the last day. If you end up packing in a rush, things get thrown in loose and that's usually when stuff breaks.

What is the hardest room to pack when moving?

The kitchen. It has more items than any other room, most of them are fragile, and you're still using it right up until moving day. Budget 10 to 15 cardboard boxes, and start it earlier than feels necessary. The pantry and the dishes you never use can go a week out, with a skeleton kitchen held back to the end: 1 pan, a few plates, coffee stuff.

And keep books in small boxes only. A large box full of books usually splits at the bottom.

The same move in totes

If you're renting totes instead of buying cardboard boxes, here's how the numbers translate.

Figure 10 totes for every 9 medium cardboard boxes. Small boxes count as a tote each; they're usually weight-limited, and the dense stuff that fills them, like books and pantry goods, goes straight into a tote that's built for the weight.

Each package is sized for the apartment version of its label. If the home has a garage, a shed, or a shop, take the next package up. The tiers are 16 totes apart, which is about what a garage adds.

Total your rooms, find the package that covers it, and if your number lands between 2 sizes, take the bigger one. The totes arrive clean and ready to pack: no assembly, no tape.

Packing totes works the same as boxes, just simpler. Lids snap shut, and full totes stack on the dollies that come with every package.

What if you run out mid-pack?

The best fix is not running out: total your rooms, then add 10%. A spare container at the end only costs a few dollars.

But it happens. With cardboard, running out means a drive to Home Depot in the middle of packing. If you're renting from us, skip the drive. Send us a message and we'll bring more totes out to you.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the cheapest place to get moving boxes?

Free. Check the Craigslist free section, local Buy Nothing groups, and liquor stores, which have sturdy cardboard boxes with dividers. U-Haul stores have a take-a-box, leave-a-box bin. If you'd rather buy new, Walmart's small boxes run about a dollar each. The tradeoff with free is your time, and the boxes are hit or miss.

Where can I find free packing boxes for moving?

Grocery stores and coffee shops, the evening before they flatten everything for the morning recycling pickup. Just ask the staff to set some aside. Bookstores are good too, since ream boxes are sturdy and uniform. Online, the Craigslist free section and Buy Nothing groups turn over constantly, especially around the start and end of the month when everyone else is moving too.

Is it better to put clothes in bags or boxes when moving?

Bags are fine for soft, folded clothes, and they cost nothing. Keep hanging clothes on their hangers and use a wardrobe box or a car clothing bar to move the whole closet in one go. If a dresser is moving as-is, the drawers can usually stay full.

What should you pack first when moving?

Start with things you won't touch before the move: storage, off-season clothes, books, decor. Work toward the rooms you use every day. The kitchen goes near the end, and pack a labeled essentials box last. That one rides with you, not in the truck.

Is it better to move with cardboard boxes or totes?

Depends on the move. If it's one-way and long-distance, cardboard you can recycle at the other end makes sense. If it's local, rented totes hold up better in damp weather, skip the tape, and ride on dollies. The full comparison has the cost math and where each one wins.