April 13 2026
Planning a house move is one of life s big moments, and getting your moving house boxes right from the start makes everything else far easier. Buy too few and you are scrambling for extras on moving day. Buy too many and you are left with a tower of flat-packed cardboard you do not know what to do with.
At Boxtopia, we supply bespoke cardboard boxes to households all over the UK, with no minimum order and free UK delivery. Whether you are moving a studio flat or a five-bedroom family home, we have helped thousands of customers pack up and move on with confidence.
This guide walks you through exactly how many boxes you need, which types work best for different rooms, and how to pack smarter so nothing gets damaged in transit.
The honest answer is more than you think. Most people underestimate by 20 to 30 per cent, then end up making a last-minute dash to a DIY shop and paying over the odds for poor-quality boxes.
The best starting point is to count your rooms and use a rough guide based on bedroom count.
Studio or 1-bed flat: roughly 10 small, 10 medium, 5 large (about 25 total).
2-bed house or flat: 15 small, 15 medium, 10 large (about 40 total).
3-bed house: 20 small, 20 medium, 15 large (about 55 total).
4-bed house: 25 small, 30 medium, 20 large (about 75 total).
5-bed house: 35 small, 35 medium, 25 large (95+ total).
These figures assume an average amount of belongings. If you are a book collector, have a fully stocked kitchen, or have not had a clear-out in a decade, add another 20 per cent on top.
Kitchen: 10 to 15 boxes (the most labour-intensive room to pack).
Living room: 5 to 10 boxes.
Master bedroom: 8 to 12 boxes.
Additional bedrooms: 5 to 8 boxes each.
Bathroom: 2 to 3 boxes.
Home office: 5 to 10 boxes.
Garage, shed, loft: variable, allow plenty of large boxes.
We always recommend ordering a small buffer, typically 10 per cent more than your estimate. Because we have no minimum order at Boxtopia, you can top up easily if needed. Having a handful of spares is far less stressful than running out on the morning of your move.
Not all boxes are created equal, and using the right size and strength for each room will save you both time and heartache.
Small boxes are your best friend for anything dense or heavy. Books, records, DVDs, tinned food, tools, and ornaments all belong here. A small box that is full should still be liftable by one person.
Our single wall boxes are ideal for lighter items, while heavier loads benefit from the extra rigidity of double wall boxes.
Medium boxes handle the bulk of a typical house move. Clothes, bedding, soft furnishings, pots and pans, and miscellaneous items from cupboards and drawers all pack well into medium boxes. They stack efficiently in a removal van and are easy for two people to carry.
Large boxes are built for volume, not weight. Duvets, pillows, lampshades, cushions, and bulky clothing are perfect candidates. Never pack heavy items into large boxes as the base can fail under the strain.
Our single wall boxes are perfectly robust for everyday items like clothing, books, kitchenware, and general household goods. They are lighter to handle and slightly more economical. For a local move where boxes will not be in transit long, single wall works well across most rooms.
For anything fragile, valuable, or particularly heavy, double wall boxes offer a meaningful step up in protection. The extra layer of corrugation resists crushing and punctures, which matters when boxes are stacked in a van or stored in a removal warehouse overnight.
We always recommend double wall for glassware, ceramics, home office equipment, and antiques or collectables.
Most of our customers do exactly this: single wall for the bedroom and living room, double wall for the kitchen and anything delicate. You can order both from Boxtopia in any combination, with no minimum quantity on either.
Line the base of every box with protective packaging such as bubble wrap, foam sheets, or packing paper. Fill any gaps at the top before sealing so items cannot shift during transit. Movement inside a box is one of the leading causes of breakages.
Wrap individual fragile items separately rather than grouping them together. Two mugs wrapped individually are far less likely to chip than two mugs wrapped together.
A well-packed box is only as good as its seal. Use proper packing tape on both the base and the top of every box, not masking tape or sticky tape from the stationery drawer. Run tape along every seam and across the centre of the base for heavier loads.
Write the room destination and a brief contents summary on at least two sides of every box, so it is readable regardless of how it is stacked. Add FRAGILE and THIS WAY UP clearly on anything that needs careful handling.
It is also worth numbering your boxes and keeping a simple list. If something goes missing, you will know immediately rather than discovering it three months later.
We suggest ordering your boxes at least two to three weeks before your move date. This gives you time to start packing non-essential rooms early, books, off-season clothing, decorative items, rather than trying to do everything in a frantic final 48 hours. We offer free UK delivery, so there is no reason to delay.
You can, but there are real drawbacks. Used boxes from supermarkets are often weakened from their original load, may carry moisture or pests, and rarely come in consistent sizes that stack well. For a short local move with modest belongings, they will probably do the job. For anything more significant, purpose-made moving boxes are worth the investment.
If the idea of calculating box counts feels like another thing on an already long to-do list, our moving house kits take the guesswork out of it entirely. They are curated bundles that include a selection of small, medium, and large boxes sized for the number of bedrooms in your home. Everything arrives flat-packed in a single delivery, ready to assemble when you need it.
Because every home is different, you can adjust any kit before ordering. Need more small boxes for a library? Add them. There is no minimum order, so you can fine-tune your bundle without any restrictions.
Getting your moving house boxes right does not need to be complicated. Work out your room count, use the guide above to estimate quantities, choose the right box strength for each area of your home, and pack methodically with proper protective materials and tape.
At Boxtopia, we make it straightforward to order exactly what you need. No minimum quantities, bespoke sizing if required, and free UK delivery on every order. Browse our moving house kits for a ready-made bundle, or build your own order from our full range. Whatever your move looks like, we are here to help you get there in one piece.
