Count the rooms you’re moving and pick how much stuff you have. These are rough planning numbers from typical removal-company guides — buy a few extra boxes, as running out on moving day is worse than having spares.
| Room | Boxes |
|---|
The box count starts from a typical number per room — about 12 per bedroom, 10 per living room, 15 for a kitchen, 4 per bathroom, 10 for a study and 15 for a garage — then scales for how much stuff you have. It’s split roughly 30% small, 45% medium and 25% large boxes, plus one wardrobe box per bedroom for hanging clothes.
Allow one roll of packing tape for every 15 or so boxes and about 1 kg of packing paper for every 10 boxes (wrap plates and glasses individually).
The load size estimate uses roughly 6 m³ (about 210 ft³) per bedroom plus furniture from the other rooms. As a guide: a Luton van or 10–12 ft truck (about 16 m³) suits a 1-bedroom flat, a 15–16 ft truck (about 22 m³) 2 bedrooms, a 20 ft truck (about 30 m³) 3 bedrooms, and a 26 ft truck (about 48 m³) 4+ bedrooms.
Typically 60–70 boxes for an average amount of stuff with one living room, kitchen and bathroom — roughly 20 small, 30 medium and 15 large, plus a few wardrobe boxes. Add about 15 for a garage. Minimalists may need 45; big households 100 or more.
Roughly: studio — a large panel van; 1 bedroom — a Luton van or 10–12 ft truck (about 16 m³ / 560 ft³); 2 bedrooms — a 15–16 ft truck (about 22 m³); 3 bedrooms — a 20 ft truck (about 30 m³); 4+ bedrooms — a 26 ft truck (about 48 m³) or two trips.
Small: heavy things — books, tins, tools, records. Medium: kitchenware, toys, electronics, shoes. Large: light but bulky things — bedding, cushions, lampshades, towels.
About one 50 m roll for every 15 boxes, if you tape the bottom with an H pattern and close the top.
Supermarkets, liquor stores and bookshops often give away sturdy boxes; community groups and marketplaces are full of people giving away boxes after their own move.
