Packing for a Move: Where do you get the boxes?

Packing and Unpacking

Finding moving boxes that fits both your needs and budget takes some preparation. It includes assessing what kind of assortment and how many boxes you will need and researching the costs. And being prepared with moving box knowledge saves time - you won't be running out at the last minute to buy more boxes and good organization helps save time during the loading and unloading process for your movers.

And don't forget, after the move, compress your boxes, remove the tape, and find place to stash them, like a storage unit or an overhead closet. You will have exactly what you need for the next time move.

1. Cardboard boxes 
Cardboard boxes are convenient because they can be bought virtually everywhere -- from Amazon to Home Depot to Sam's Club) The downside is that they are usually sold in one-size packs and you may end up with a surplus of unused, wasted boxes. 
Some online moving supply companies, like directmovingboxes.com and usedcardbordboxes.com, have solved this by selling "moving kits," which include a variety of box sizes and other necessities, such as bubble wrap, packing tape and markers. The benefit of buying a package is that the supplier helps you estimate how many boxes you will need, based on the size of your place.

2. Grocery store boxes (apple boxes, plastic milk crates, and glass or wine boxes)
Best to stow small, heavy items for the move. It's a cheap, eco-friendly way to get boxes for your move; however, it requires a little extra work on your part to get chummy with the manager of a local grocery and start accumulating a set of boxes. Restaurants and coffee shops are your best bet for finding plastic milk crates, free of charge.

3. Banker boxes (boxes that usually store paper or legal files; roughly a foot wide and high, by 2 feet long) 
They have handles for easy transport and lift-off lids. Best for little or heavy items, such as books, DVDs and cooking utensils or children's clothes.

4. Wardrobe boxes (the tall, slender boxes that come with hinged holes and a metal bar) 
Works well for light, bulky belongings such as pillows, comforters, sleeping bags, etc). Do NOT put heavy things in these boxes.

5. Eco-friendly boxes (eco-conscious moving boxes). 

You can rent these storage boxes for a couple of weeks to pack and move, and then they are picked up once your move is complete. The downside of this is usually cost.

Read More: DONATE YOUR STUFF
 9 Ways to Save on Moving Expenses
Five Must Have Moving Supplies

• Packing Supplies for a Smooth Move
• Green Moving Guide

• Packing Your Home for Moving Day
• Best Ways to Unpack After Moving

• Move with Storage Containers: Packing and Unpacking Made Easy

Planning a Move

Planning a Move

Before you start packing boxes you should be thinking about logistics. These guides will get you thinking about the decisions you need to make before a move. It's important to have the best tips and resources possible when planning a move! 

• Moving on the Cheap
• Moving Made Easy with a Timetable
• Don't Move It! Yard Sale Tips and More

• Home Improvements, Before You Move In
• Moving Costs: Ways to Budget for Your Move

• Changing Rentals? Save on Your Next Move
• Moving Tips for Every Season

Read More: 9 Ways to Save on Moving Expenses

Five Must Have Moving Supplies
Where do you get Moving Boxes?

Choosing Movers

When preparing to move one of the biggest decisions is figuring out how to find trustworthy movers to get your stuff from A to B. These guides will help you find the right movers for you.

• Movers: Hire Professionals or Do It Yourself

• Movers You Won't Regret

• How to Get an Accurate Moving Quote

Want more GREAT TIPS from a GREAT AGENT? Call Sarah First!

9 Ways To Save on Moving Expenses

9 Ways To Save on Moving Day Expenses

Summer is a time when many of us move, an experience most people find painful -- often in the lower back -- and definitely in the wallet. Whether you are buying or selling a home, moving out of your parents house or finding a new place to rent, what people usually dread most is moving.

Maybe you're doing the heavy lifting yourself or maybe hiring a team to pack and move you, there are important rules of thumb to keep in mind.

1. Pull your friends and family together.

Assess whether you really need a moving company. You might do quite well asking your friends and family to help you move, particularly if someone you know has a truck. Sami Cone, a savings pro, says getting people together might be easier than you think. "Just make sure to show plenty of gratitude during and afterwards and free pizza doesn't hurt either," says Cone.

2. Seek free boxes.

Those professional moving boxes look nice, but they can add up quickly. You would be surprised at how many boxes stores, particularly liquor stores, throw out each week. Many times, managers of these stores are happy to hold them for you. Cone says that restaurants and coffee shops are also prime places for sturdy boxes. Where Can I Get Moving Boxes?

3. Do some packing yourself.

If you are using movers, ask if you can save on their estimate by packing and doing at least some of the work yourself. Cone says you would be surprised at how much you can save if all they have to do is send two people out to pick up boxes already packed.


4. Shop around for movers and deals.

Sometimes there is no getting around movers. If you have to hire them, look around at the local newspaper and daily deals sites, says Cone. You may even find some deals on moving trucks and storage facilities.

5. Tip well.

Aimee Elizabeth, author of "Poverty Sucks! How to Become a Self-Made Millionaire," says that she loves to move and has come up with a sure-fire way to make the movers move faster while saving money. Elizabeth calculates their hourly rate vs. the cost of an incentive for them to finish early. She then tells the movers that if they have the move completed by 2 p.m., for example, she will tip each of them $20.


6. Don't overlap residences.

"Don't overlap residences more than a month, so you don't have to carry two house payments," says Cone. Same goes for rentals. If you found that perfect next home and your lease isn't quite up on your current rental, ask the landlord if he will accept a deposit to hold it rather than having to put up a month's rent. You would be surprised how many will hold it a month for you, especially if your credit is good and you appear to be the perfect tenant.

7. Start over.

Depending on where you're moving, you might be ahead of the game by packing only things that you can take in your vehicle and selling the rest. Bonnie Russell with Personal Public Relations says that when her father retired from Oregon to a village for members of the Air Force in California, he gave heirlooms to his family, sold the rest, and purchased only what he needed -- some of it used -- for his new, smaller digs.

8. Look for tax deductions.

Tony Aguilar, founder of Amiti Advising, notes that if your move qualifies for tax deductions (talk with your tax accountant), make sure you keep all of the necessary receipts.

9. Retrieve utility and other deposits.

It may have been years since you last saw the money you put down as deposits on a rental home or apartment or utilities, but the money should still be there. Howard Dvorkin, author of Credit Hell: How to Dig out of Debt, says many people forget these, as well as pet deposits. Make sure to leave all of the property you're leaving behind in good working order and clean and you will get that money back.

Read More: Five Must Have Moving Supplies

• How to Make Moving Cross-Country Go Smoothly
• Making the Move for a Job? How Employer Can Smooth the Way

• Moving Day Horror Stories

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Five Must Have Supplies for Moving

What packing supplies will you need? 

Great moving tips can reduce a lot of stress! Here are the five MUST HAVE packing supplies when planning a move.

1. Packing Boxes
When it comes to moving supplies, cardboard boxes can be your biggest expense. Often , moving companies provide the boxes for you. Movers use standard-size boxes, as well as specialty boxes for items such as mirrors and artwork. The key is to use the right box for the right items and do make sure that you fill the box snugly to prevent moving, shifting and breaking.

2. Packing paper
Bubble wrap and Packing Peanuts are bad for the environment but if you are reusing it from something else, go for it. TIP: Use your towels and wash clothes to wrap your breakable items before putting them in boxes.  This will save you money on buying packing materials.

2. Use the right kind of packing tape
Use old-fashioned packaging tape, the 2-inch wide kind. After all, this is what it was meant for - packing!

3. Box cutter
Once you are ready to unpack those boxes, you don't want to break all your nails (or anything within the box) trying to get the tape off. A box cutter, an important unpacking supply, will slice through the packing tape easily. And if you need to break down your boxes for recycling, the box cutter will make that job a lot easier.

4. Sharpie
The Sharpie is a small but mighty packing tool. Unless you want to play "what's inside this box" when you get to your new house, make sure you label your boxes. "You don't need an inventory of every item," says Fierst. "But a general idea, as well as the room you want it to go to, will really help when you unpack that box."

5. Moving Blankets/Tarps
Whether you get them from your moving company or you use blankets you already own or you buy some from the thrift store, it's important to cover your big items to prevent them from getting damaged.


What do you do with the boxes when you are done?
-Return them to the moving company
-Flatten and organize them for a future move
-Offer them to a real estate agent for other clients to use
-Take them to the recycling area at the town dump.