Moving Box Calculator
How many moving boxes to get, by size, and the tape to go with them.
Good to know. Books go in small boxes, pillows in big ones. Anything else ends in a box nobody can lift.
Approximate. Real-world values vary.
How it works
In plain words
Each room gets a typical mix of box sizes: a kitchen needs many small boxes for crockery and tins, a bedroom more medium and large ones for clothes and bedding. Add them up and scale for how much you own. One roll of tape seals about 15 boxes.
The formula
boxes = Σ rooms × typical boxes per room × stuff factor (0.7, 1 or 1.4) tape = ⌈boxes ÷ 15⌉
Worked example
Two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom need about 28 small, 25 medium and 11 large boxes, plus 2 wardrobe boxes: 66 in total and 5 rolls of tape.
Sources
No outside data or rates: this is plain arithmetic.
3 automated tests check its answers on every change.
About the moving box calculator
Most people underestimate how many boxes a move takes, and the last evening is spent hunting for more. This calculator gives a starting number by box size from the rooms in your home, using the typical mix each room needs.
Use small boxes for heavy things: books, tins, tools and records. A small box full of books is already as heavy as most people want to carry. Medium boxes suit kitchen things, toys, shoes and folded clothes, and large ones light, bulky things like bedding, cushions and lampshades. Wardrobe boxes, with a hanging rail, save ironing everything again.
Then adjust for yourself. Someone with a large book collection, a hobby room or a garage full of tools needs more small boxes; a minimalist far fewer. Fill boxes to the top so they don’t collapse when stacked, keep each under about 20 kg, and label two sides with the room it goes to.
Get the tape and paper too: about one roll of tape per 15 boxes, and plenty of paper for wrapping plates and glasses, which travel better standing on their edge. Keep one box of essentials for the first night: kettle, mugs, chargers, toilet paper and bedding.
Questions people ask
How many boxes do I need to move a 2-bedroom flat?
About 50 to 80, depending on how much you own: mostly small and medium boxes, a few large ones and a couple of wardrobe boxes.
What size boxes should books go in?
Small ones. A small box of books can weigh 15 to 20 kg; a large one would be too heavy to lift safely.
How much packing tape do I need?
About one 50 m roll for every 15 boxes, sealing the top and bottom with a couple of strips each.