How many moving boxes do you need for your move

You’re in the process of moving house. Now you need to find moving boxes to pack all of your favourite belongings. 

Finding moving boxes can seem like an easy task. However, calculating how many boxes you need and where to get them from can take a little extra brain power on top of your busy move. 

This guide is designed to help you quickly assess how many boxes you need, the types of boxes and where you can find moving boxes in Singapore.

If you are at the start of your moving journey, you may also find our comprehensive Singapore moving guide a great resource to piece everything together. 

Alright, let’s jump into it!  

Do you need to organise moving boxes?

The simple answer is yes. 

This is especially true if you are moving house by yourself or using cheap Singapore moving services such as Lalamove to move only a few items. In this case, you’ll need to organise moving boxes on top of the transport.   

However, if you have organised your move through a moving company in Singapore, odds are that you will have moving boxes included in your quote. 

If this is you, it is important to check how many boxes are included in your move and whether you need to top up.

How many moving boxes do you need?

We recommend not getting caught up in trying to organise the exact number of moving boxes you need. In fact, you’ll probably be thankful if you have some extra boxes for some unexpected items.

However to ensure you are in the ballpark, there are some general guidelines to ensure you have around the right amount of boxes when moving house in Singapore.

As HBD’s are typically larger than Condos per number of rooms, we’ve included a sq ft estimate to help you identify what suits you best 

1 bedroom (<500 sq ft)

• 15 – 20 medium boxes
• 7 – 10  large boxes
• 2 – 4 extra large boxes

1 – 2 bedroom (<750 sq ft)

• 25 – 30 medium boxes
• 13 – 15 large boxes
• 4 – 6 extra large boxes

2 – 3 bedroom (<1250 sq ft)

• 35 – 40 medium boxes
• 18 – 20 large boxes
• 6 – 8 extra large boxes

3 – 4 bedroom (<2000 sq ft)

• 45 – 50 medium boxes
• 20 – 25 large boxes
• 8 – 10 extra large boxes

Size guide

What other packing material or speciality boxes do you require?

While boxes are probably the most important part, you best pick up some additional packing materials. 

These include:

• Retractable blade box cutter
• Permanent marker to label each box
• Packing paper which you can buy as either sheets or rolls
• Packing tape which comes in a roll

At the risk of a bad pun, you must also think outside of the square box. Some items may require special packing and you can often find boxes to suit all needs. 

For example, there are boxes for mirrors or books.

You can also get boxes that act as a mobile wardrobe so you can hang your special garments while moving house 

Where to buy moving boxes from?

Singapore has a number of suppliers who provide moving boxes either as individual items or as prepackaged moving kits. Below is a list of the top provides in Singapore

• Haulmate – We have curated specialised moving kits based on the above size guidelines. The easiest place to order your boxes and you’ll get them delivered to your door within 3 – 5 days for free
  
• Cartonbox – A wide range of new and used moving boxes and packing material. They have 2 walk in locations if you prefer to pick out your ideal boxes
  
• New Carton Box – Offers both self-collection and delivery options with a range of moving boxes and packing material 

Getting you moving 

We recommend ordering your boxes 2 weeks in advance of your move just to ensure you have sufficient time to receive your boxes and start packing. This also gives you a little extra time to order some extra in case you are a little short.

As you prepare for your move, make sure you also check out our interactive moving checklist. It’s completely personalised to you and you’ll also receive a $15 discount on moving boxes and other moving services. 

If this article has helped you quickly figure out how many boxes you need when moving house, please feel free to share with others also moving. 

Best of luck for your upcoming move!