5 Out-Of-The-Box Places to Get Free Moving Boxes

A part of your home move where you can save some money is by finding free moving boxes.

However, if you are moving overseas it is highly recommended that you hire a professional packing team, and they will provide the boxes which will offer your things the maximum protection whilst in transit to your new home.

Important: The second thing to know is that many insurance policies will not cover your goods in transit if you have packed them yourself. If you have valuable or irreplaceable items then always hire a professional packing team.

But if you have made the decision to pack for a home move yourself then getting packing boxes for free should be high on your list of things to do.

Be sure that any boxes you find for free are strong enough to hold the weight of the items you intend to pack.

You may also like to read: Where to Get Free Stuff When Moving Home. In this guide, we share some places where people moving home can get free things, discount codes, and vouchers.

Where Can You Get Free Cardboard Boxes for Moving Home?

Here are suggestions for places where you can find home moving boxes for free.

Get Free Moving Boxes from Friends and Family

Often you will know someone who is moving home or has recently moved home.

Social media these days generally means we know everything about everybody’s life, and most people will post the news that they have recently moved home.

Reach out to them and see if you can have the boxes they used for their home move.

Find Free Cardboard Boxes Online

The internet can be a great place to find home moving boxes for free.

These websites are a great place to start if you want to find free home-moving cardboard boxes.

• Gumtree   
• Freecycle.org
• Nextdoor 
• Marketplace  

Get Free Boxes from Stores

Many local stores will be happy to give you free boxes, just make sure they are undamaged, clean, and strong.

If you have a local electrical store they may have some spare TV boxes that you should definitely try to get your hands on.

TVs are the most likely item to be damaged during a home move so if you can find a TV-specific box that would be ideal.

Failing that, if you have a local bicycle store, then bike boxes are usually a great fit, and are very strong, for packing your TV.

Find Free Boxes on Industrial Estates

Many companies receive materials in cardboard boxes and will be happy to let you have some boxes for free.

Be sure to get permission before removing boxes from skips or from the company’s premises.

Removal Companies and Self-Storage Depots

You may find that local removal companies or self-storage depots have boxes that they no longer need.

It is worth asking the question, and you will usually find that these are good-quality boxes.

Bonus suggestion #1: From Other Home Movers

A short drive around your local neighbourhood and you should find some people who have recently moved home.

It might be worth knocking on their door and asking if they are getting rid of their old moving boxes.

Bonus suggestion #2: Ask Your Estate Agent or Landlord

Often your estate agent or landlord will be able to put you in touch with someone who has recently moved and has moving boxes going spare.

You may also like to read: 10 Sneaky Ways to Save Money Moving Home. In this guide, we share 10 slightly unusual ways to save money on your relocation expenses.

What Type of Free Moving Boxes are Best?

The better the quality of the boxes you find, the better protection they will give your things.

So as a minimum, you should look for the following:

• 2 ply boxes. The more layers of card that the walls of the boxes have, generally the stronger they will be.
• Boxes should be clean, dry, damage-free, and have no water damage.
• Use small boxes for heavy things like books, and large boxes for lighter items.
• Pack no more than 20kg per box as they are easier to handle and will not break the boxes.
• Find as many boxes of uniform size as you can. They will stack better and take up less room in the removal van than a mix of sizes.

You may also like to read: 12 Space Saving Packing Tips. In this guide, we share some proven packing tips to help you save time and money when packing your moving boxes.

How Much Tape Will I Need?

People will generally underestimate the amount of packing materials they will need and you will waste valuable time going to get more supplies.

It is better to have too much packing tape than too little, so plan on two 166m rolls of tape for every 15 boxes.

The amount of bubble wrap you need depends upon how many fragile items you have to pack, but you should plan on 5 meters for the average home move.

If you collect glassware or other fragile items for example, you will need to plan on at least 10m depending upon the size of your collection.

You can use bedding, towels, and clothing to protect your items and pad your boxes, which will save you money on bubble wrap.

You will also need a good supply of coloured tape to help you clearly label your moving boxes so that you know in which order to unpack them and which room they are destined for in your new home.

You may also like to read: Another 10 Sneaky Ways to Save Money Moving Home. Another 10 out-of-the-ordinary ways to save money when moving home.

What to Pack in What Size Moving Boxes

Generally, you should pack moving boxes so that they weigh no more than 20kg.

Most boxes can safely hold this weight and will still stack without crumpling.

It is also a safe weight for the removal team to be able to lift.

Use smaller boxes for heavy items such as books, medium-sized boxes for most items such as kitchen equipment and toys, and larger boxes for lighter items such as bedding and linens.

You may however find it easier to use smaller boxes for the majority of your items as they are easier to handle.

The downside is that the more boxes you use, the more packing tape you will need, and the longer it will take to construct and pack the boxes.

You may also like to read: 15 Simple Ways to Cut the Cost of Moving Home. From deciding where to live to home improvement grants, in this guide, we share 15 ways to save money on every aspect of your home move.

How to Save on Packing Costs When Moving Home

The easiest way to save money on your packing and moving costs is to reduce the number of items that you will move from your old to your new home.

You can do this by decluttering and donating, recycling, or selling any items that you no longer need or want in your new home.

The more thorough you are with this process the cheaper your home moving costs will be.

You may also like to read: The Epic Guide to Decluttering for a Home Move. Decluttering is guaranteed to save you money when moving home. In this guide, we look at how to declutter your home room by room.

Don’t forget that many items which are around your home, such as suitcases and rucksacks, can be used to move things to your new home.

Bedding, linens, and clothing can be used as packing materials to protect your goods during your move.

If you can find archive or copier paper boxes which have lids this will save you a fortune packing tape and also a lot of time.

Finally, don’t forget that many removal companies will offer you free packing boxes when you hire their services, so be sure to ask before you spend lots of your valuable time searching for free moving boxes.

Be sure to visit our home moving blog which is packed with tips to make your home move cheaper, easier, and safer.