How this box estimate is calculated
The calculator starts with a small allowance that every home needs — a kitchen, a bathroom and a living space — and then adds a fixed number of small, medium and large boxes for each bedroom. A multiplier for how much you own scales the result: 0.7 for a minimal household, 1.0 for average and 1.35 for a full home or a collector. Each extra person adds 10%, because shared homes accumulate shoes, coats, hobbies and paperwork faster than bedrooms suggest. Home offices, garages and lofts each add their own fixed allowance, and you get one wardrobe box per bedroom.
These are planning assumptions, not measurements of your home. Their job is to give you a sensible first order so you are not stuck with a half-packed kitchen on moving eve. Once you have packed one room, compare what you used against the estimate and scale the rest of the order up or down.
Box sizes compared
Suppliers use different dimensions for the same names, so treat the volumes below as the averages our tools use and check the actual measurements with the box-volume calculator above.
| Size | Volume used here | Best for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1.5 cu ft (≈0.04 m³) | Books, tins, tools, records, files | Soft, bulky items that waste the space |
| Medium | 3 cu ft (≈0.085 m³) | Kitchenware, toys, shoes, small appliances | Filling to the top with books |
| Large | 4.5 cu ft (≈0.13 m³) | Bedding, cushions, towels, lampshades | Anything heavy — bases can give way |
| Wardrobe | 10 cu ft (≈0.28 m³) | Hanging clothes on the built-in rail | Folded clothes that could stay in drawers |
The weight rule matters more than the size rule
The single most useful packing habit is simple: heavy things go in small boxes, light things go in large ones. A large box full of books can be too heavy to lift safely and is the classic cause of split bases on the stairs. Aim for boxes you can carry comfortably with bent knees and a straight back. Fill every box to the top — a half-empty box collapses when another is stacked on it — and use crumpled paper or linen to close the gaps.
New, second-hand or rented crates
New cardboard boxes
- Pro: uniform sizes that stack squarely in a vehicle
- Pro: predictable strength and clean surfaces
- Con: you pay for every box
- Con: single-use unless you pass them on afterwards
Second-hand boxes
- Pro: often free from neighbours, shops or local groups
- Pro: gives cardboard a second life
- Con: mixed sizes stack badly and waste space
- Con: may be weakened, damp or dusty
Rented plastic crates
- Pro: rigid, reusable and quick to close without tape
- Pro: stack securely and resist rain
- Con: must be emptied and returned by a deadline
- Con: availability depends on your area
Mistakes that throw off a total box count
- Counting only what you can see. Open every drawer, the cupboard under the stairs and the top of each wardrobe before you trust any estimate.
- Underestimating the kitchen. Crockery, glassware, pans, food cupboards and small appliances routinely fill more boxes than a bedroom.
- Forgetting the outside. Sheds, garden tools, planters and bikes need space and often awkward packaging.
- Buying only large boxes. They feel efficient, but they push you into packing heavy items in boxes that cannot take the weight.
- No “open first” box. Keep kettle, mugs, chargers, toilet roll, bedding and basic tools in one clearly marked box that travels last and is unloaded first.
Turning the estimate into an order
Order roughly the estimated quantity plus a small buffer, pack the room you use least first, and note how many boxes it really took. That one test room tells you more about your home than any formula. If you are close to your estimate, carry on; if you are far off, adjust the remaining rooms by the same proportion. When you know your final total box count, feed it into the truck-size planner to see how much of the vehicle it will occupy.