Boxes For Moving House: Which Ones Should I Choose?

If you’re moving house or offices, you’ll need packaging to transport your stuff from A to B. Sourcing quality boxes is paramount to the preparation of a successful move. No matter how far you’re relocating to, you’ll need sturdy boxes to keep your belongings well protected in transit.

Already know which size and type of moving boxes you need? Great!

 

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Strong boxes are great for transporting your items, but it's important to note that they need to be light enough to carry on and off the removal van. That's where corrugated cardboard is the perfect packaging material for boxing up and moving your possessions. Generally, any packaging made from corrugated cardboard tends to be lightweight but have greater impact resistance and protection against damage. If you're not sure what corrugated cardboard is, essentially it's composed of a thick ruffled layer of cardboard sandwiched between two outer layers of cardboard. It's a super popular packaging material that is very versatile, and most importantly has shock absorbing qualities should something happen when you're moving your stuff. 

 

Firstly, you want to choose boxes that are made from corrugated cardboard - luckily most standard cardboard boxes you find online will be. There are two popular types of boxes you can use for moving house; depending on the weight of the items you want to pack up, you can choose between single wall cardboard boxes and double wall cardboard boxes.

 

As the names suggest, single wall moving boxes are made from a single layer of corrugated cardboard. These are lighter and can comfortably hold items up to 10kgs total. Double wall boxes are made from two layers of corrugated cardboard with a total load capacity of 25kgs - great for transporting much heavier items. But make sure they aren't too heavy because remember that you or the removal company will need to be able to lift and carry these boxes on and off the moving truck.

 

 

What size boxes are best for moving

Choosing the right size moving boxes needs some consideration before buying. The size of box you get will depend on the type and weight of the things you're planning on bringing with you. Most homes and offices will have a variety of sized items, but if you know you have a lot of heavier stuff that needs moving such as books, it might be worth getting smaller boxes that can you can carry easily without overloading them so they end up being too heavy. 

 

Obviously things like kitchen utensils are not going to need the same size box as a chair for instance - so to start with, we recommend medium single wall boxes for moving house, these will cover most bases and work well for packing up one or two rooms. If you have a lot of lighter decor such as pillows, blankets, and duvets, larger moving boxes would be better suited.

 

Should you need to pack much larger items that don't fit conventional cardboard box sizes, we've written some guidance on choosing what type of packaging essentials would be best for transporting a wide range of belongings including furniture like chairs and tables to paintings and mirrors.

 

How to pack boxes for moving house

You want to make sure that each box is packed as securely and efficiently as possible. The last thing you need when you reach your destination is broken belongings from not properly packing your stuff up beforehand. We've already covered the types of boxes that would be best suited to moving your possessions - so let's cover the best ways to pack your moving boxes.

 

You can't have a moving box without packing tape. Whether you'd rather use plastic or paper tape is up to you (although we'd recommend paper tape - it makes disposing of your moving boxes a lot easier).

 

If you're packing up kitchen items such as crockery and glassware, you'll need extra protection around these items to prevent them from damage in transit. A popular packaging item would be to wrap them in bubble wrap, but if you want something a little more eco-friendly that wonm't contribute to single use plastic waste, try packing paper instead.

 

Luckily, moving boxes come flat packed so you only need to assemble them as and when you're ready to start packing, which is great for saving space. Simply pop the box into shape, seal the bottom with tape, wrap your belongings in packing paper, pop you stuff the box and seal shut - it's as easy as that. 

 

How do I get rid of moving boxes?

There a few options you can choose to get rid of your moving boxes:

 

Recycle them

The recyclability of your moving boxes will depend on what sort of packing tape you used. If you used paper tape then you can easily recycle your flattened boxes and the tape together in your at home cardboard and paper recycling. If you used plastic tape, you must make sure that you separate the tape from the box completely beforehand otherwise it can't be recycled. You'll most likely have quite a lot of boxes to get rid of after moving, so if you find you have too many to put in your home recycling, your nearest refuse site will be able to take them.

 

If you want to know what packaging materials you can recycle and where you can recycle them, check out our Recycling Locator widget.

 

 

Donate

If your moving boxes are in good condition, you could ask your local charities whether they're in need of cardboard boxes - whether it be for storage or transport, they might be useful. Alternatively, if you know anyone that is moving, ask if they are in need of any boxes.

 

Freecycle

This has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Essentially it's a network of people that give away stuff for free in their town. So if none of your family or friends are moving and need boxes, you might find there are other people in your town that do need them. They can be promoted by your local group member and if someone wants them - great! It's a good way of keeping reusable items from going into landfill.

 

If you still need help finding the right moving boxes, get in touch and we'll be more than happy to help.