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Moving Boxes

Where to Buy, Sizes and Prices

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Moving house can be stressful so we want to give you all the advice we can! Getting good quality packing materials is key to completing a successful house move. Most moving companies provide moving boxes if you avail of their packing services. If not, the final task left on your packing checklist is to purchase moving boxes and to place all your possessions into them. This article will cover the sizes that they are available in, the prices you can expect to pay and where they are available. Sirelo is here to help you move with a smile 🙂

Where to Get Moving Boxes

The Free Option

Moving house doesn’t come cheap, with all the home removal costs piling up. Thankfully, getting boxes doesn’t have to break the bank! You can find free moving boxes at many locations such as:

  • Fast-food restaurants
  • Bookshops
  • Grocery stores
  • Office supply stores
  • Friends and family

There is no doubt that the above options are a great way to source moving boxes. However, there is always a catch. Here are the pros and cons of getting free moving boxes:

✅ They are freeduh!

✅ Reusing boxes is good for the environment; killing two birds with one stone some might say!

❌ It can be time consuming to find the right shape, size and quantity you need, especially if trawling though several locations.

❌ Second-hand moving boxes may be damaged, wet or worse still, carry bugs.

Want to Purchase Your Own Boxes?

If you are willing to pay for cheap moving boxes, Facebook Marketplace is also full of users who need to get rid of boxes. You can also buy boxes from private sellers on e-commerce websites such as BidOrBuy.

Box shop, Ecobox and Boxes Online all offermoving kits’ that include different types of cardboard boxes to help move different household items.

Below are the pros and cons of choosing to buy moving materials:

✅ You are guaranteed to be able to find all the items you need, in good condition.

✅ It is quick, easy and stress-free.

❌ It costs money– given that moving house is expensive, cutting back on costs where you can is crucial!

❌ It produces unnecessary waste.

Moving Box Sizes

Small (18″ x 14″ x 12″)

These are standard household moving boxes that are durable and can be used for a lot of different household items. For example, you can use these boxes to store books, collectables, kitchenware, ornaments and other small household items.

Medium (20″ x 20″ x 15″)

These boxes are built to pack pillows, duvets and towels. Often, small kitchen appliances like toasters and blenders can also fit into medium boxes.

Large (23″ x 23″ x 16″)

These larger boxes can be packed with bigger items but are still easy to carry.  In addition, they can fit lamps, larger kitchen appliances and other electrical items like satellite boxes.

Sirelo top tip: You may be able to find boxes through the moving company you choose. Just make sure to specify this is a service you are after once you have requested quotes. While this is not always free, it is something to consider when choosing your mover. Fill out our form below to receive up to five quotes from our moving network!

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What Type of Box Should You Get?

There are various kinds of moving boxes available to you. As well as the basic cardboard and plastic boxes, you can also get corrugated boxes, double-wall cardboard boxes and boxes with bubble-wrap. These will provide greater protection for your belongings, so investigate into these if you are moving with any fragile items.

When you need to securely transport delicate or fragile items, you will need specialised moving boxes:

  • Kitchen boxes: these boxes come with partitions so that glasses, dishes and china stay protected and remain in place throughout the move.
  • TV boxes: these boxes are intricately designed to protect flat screens.

moving boxes in conservatory

Cost of Moving Boxes in South Africa

There are three factors that determine the cost of the moving boxes: the type of box, the size of the box and whether the box has a double-wall, bubble wrap or padding inside it.

Here are the average prices for a pack of ten: 

Size/ Type Price
Small R120.00
Medium R150.00
Large R200.00
Double Wall R350.00
Bubble Wrap R1400

How Many Boxes Will You Need?

Of course this depends on the size of your house move. If you are not sure how much stuff you have, use our handy furniture volume calculator to help you out. From here, you will be able to calculate the rough number of boxes you need, before finding out where to get boxes for moving.

Start Packing!

Now that you are practically an expert on all things moving boxes, it’s time to start packing! Follow our top 7 packing tips to guarantee a smooth packing process. If you want even more advice from professionals, check out our expert tips for your house removal.

If you’re decluttering but want to hold on to some precious belongings, consider your storage options before throwing them out.

Finally, if you’re moving abroad, follow our international move checklist to ensure you have all your boxes ticked before relocating! And while you’re at it, our international moving costs page may be of some help to you on your moving journey.

What’s Next?

Congratulations – You are one step closer to moving house! We hope our article helped you understand more about moving boxes. However, moving isn’t just about moving boxes… You may find the articles we have linked below useful for other aspects of your move 🙂 Request moving quotes through Sirelo today and you can officially begin your moving journey!

Good luck with your move!