How the estimate works
There is no official formula for how many boxes a home needs, so this calculator uses a transparent rule of thumb you can change. It works in four steps.
- Rooms × boxes per room. Each room type has a starting number of small, medium, large, wardrobe and dish-pack boxes. Open “Edit boxes per room” to change any of them.
- × density. Minimal multiplies by 0.7, average by 1 and packed full by 1.4. Results are rounded up.
- + special items. Full bookshelves add small boxes (4 per shelf by default). Extra closet rail adds one wardrobe box for every 2 feet of hanging clothes. You can add dish packs for china or glassware.
- + spare buffer. A 10% buffer covers the things everyone forgets. Supplies follow from the total: one tape roll per 20 boxes, about 5 lb of packing paper per dish pack and a quarter pound per other box.
Starting numbers per room
| Room | Small | Medium | Large | Wardrobe | Dish pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Living room | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Dining room | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kitchen | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Bathroom | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Home office | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Garage / storage | 3 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Worked example
A two-bedroom apartment with a living room, kitchen, one bathroom and one full bookshelf, at average density:
- Small: 8 (bedrooms) + 3 + 6 + 3 = 20, plus 4 for books = 24
- Medium: 10 + 4 + 6 + 1 = 21
- Large: 6 + 3 + 2 = 11
- Wardrobe: 2, and dish packs: 3
Adding the 10% buffer and rounding each size up gives 27 small, 24 medium, 13 large, 3 wardrobe and 4 dish packs: 71 boxes. That needs about 4 rolls of tape and roughly 37 lb of packing paper, or two 25 lb bundles.
Packing tips that save boxes and breakage
- Heavy items go small. Books and canned goods in small boxes; bedding and pillows in large ones.
- Fill every gap. Boxes with empty space crush when stacked. Use towels, linens or paper as filler.
- Declutter first. Every item you sell, donate or toss is space you don’t have to pack. In NYC, see getting rid of furniture and trash when you move.
- Label two sides. Write the destination room and a short contents list, and number the boxes so you can check that all of them arrived.
Next steps
Price the move itself with the moving cost estimator, then work through the 8-week moving checklist and the change of address checklist.