Guide
Free moving boxes in NZ: where to get them, and what they save you
The most reliable free moving boxes in New Zealand come from someone who has just moved, listed free on Facebook Marketplace or Neighbourly, followed by liquor stores and supermarkets if you ask ahead. For a three-bedroom house, free boxes save about $127 against buying 40 Bunnings light-duty cartons at the prices listed on 23 October 2026.
Last checked 30 October 2026
Where is the best place to get free moving boxes?
From a household that has just moved. Their boxes are already moving cartons, in matching sizes that stack, and they usually want the whole lot gone in one pick-up. Search "moving boxes" in the free listings on Facebook Marketplace and in your local Neighbourly, and post a "wanted" note of your own. The week after a long weekend or the end of a school term is when most people finish unpacking.
After that, shops that unpack a lot of stock. Each source gives you a different kind of box, so it helps to know what you are collecting before you go.
| Where | What you get | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone who just moved (Marketplace, Neighbourly) | Real moving cartons, matching sizes, often 20 to 50 at once | A whole house in one trip | Gone fast; be ready to collect the same day |
| Liquor stores | Small, strong boxes, some with dividers | Books, tins, glasses, anything heavy | Small, so you need a lot of them |
| Supermarkets | Mixed produce and grocery boxes | Linen, toys, light kitchen things | Holes in banana boxes, damp produce boxes, most cardboard baled by mid-morning |
| Bookshops and stationers | Book-sized cartons | Books and files | Small numbers at a time |
| Your own workplace | Copy-paper boxes with lids | Paperwork, books, kitchen | Ask first; facilities teams often recycle on a schedule |
| Appliance and furniture stores | Very large cartons | Duvets, cushions, lampshades | Too big for anything heavy |
Do supermarkets in NZ still give away boxes?
Many will, if you ask, but it is less reliable than it used to be. Most large supermarkets now flatten and bale their cardboard as it comes off the pallets, so the boxes exist for an hour or two after the morning unpack and then they are gone. Ring the store, ask what morning the big delivery is unpacked, and ask whether someone can put a stack aside for you. Turning up mid-afternoon and hoping rarely works.
Does Bunnings give away free boxes?
Bunnings sells moving cartons rather than advertising free ones. On 23 October 2026 its 26L light-duty carton was $2.15, the 52L $3.45 and the 107L $4.33, and Mitre 10's small moving box was $1.99. Any store may have spare cartons from its own deliveries if you ask at the counter, but there is no published giveaway, so do not plan a move around one.
Does NZ Post give out free moving boxes?
No. NZ Post sells its boxes and bags as packaging for parcels, and says the cost of delivery does not include its packaging. They are sized for posting parcels, not for moving a house. For a move, buy from a hardware store or a moving-box seller, or collect free cartons from the places above.
How much do free boxes actually save?
Less than most people expect, though it is still real money. We priced the Wise Move box counts for each house size using Bunnings' light-duty cartons: 26L for small, 52L for medium and 107L for large, at the prices listed on 23 October 2026. Tape, paper and a wardrobe box are left out, because you buy those either way.
So for a three-bedroom house, free boxes save about $127. Whether that is worth it depends on how many evenings you spend collecting them, and whether mismatched sizes cost you a second trip in the truck.
| House | Boxes (small / medium / large) | Cost bought at Bunnings | What free boxes save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 10 / 10 / 5 = 25 | $77.65 | About $78 |
| 2 bedrooms | 10 / 10 / 10 = 30 | $99.30 | About $99 |
| 3 bedrooms | 15 / 15 / 10 = 40 | $127.30 | About $127 |
| 4 bedrooms | 20 / 20 / 15 = 55 | $176.95 | About $177 |
Are free boxes good enough for moving?
For light things, yes. For heavy things, choose carefully. A box built to hold one delivery of chips or bananas was never meant to carry 15kg of books down a flight of stairs, and a split box on moving day costs more than the box did. Use free boxes for linen, clothes, toys and soft furnishings, and keep the strongest ones, usually from liquor stores, for books and kitchen things.
- Skip anything damp, stained or that smells of produce: it weakens and it marks what is inside.
- Skip banana boxes for small items; the holes in the base let things fall through.
- Tape the base of every free box across the seam and along both edges, even if it looks sound.
- Try to collect two or three sizes in bulk, so the boxes stack on a trolley and in the truck.
- Count what you need before you start collecting, so you know when to stop.
When should I buy boxes instead?
When time is short, the move is long, or things are going into storage. Free boxes take several trips over a week or two. Matching cartons stack tightly in a truck and a storage unit, which can save more on an hourly removalist than the boxes cost. If you would rather not collect at all, crate hire in the main centres delivers and collects, and leaves nothing to recycle afterwards.
Quick answers
Where can I get free moving boxes near me?
Check the free listings on Facebook Marketplace and Neighbourly for someone who has just moved, then ring your nearest liquor store and supermarket and ask which morning they unpack so they can put boxes aside.
Do Bunnings give away free boxes?
Bunnings sells moving cartons, from $2.15 for a 26L light-duty carton on 23 October 2026, and does not advertise free boxes. A store may have spare delivery cartons if you ask at the counter.
Does the post office give free moving boxes?
No. NZ Post sells its boxes as parcel packaging, charged on top of postage, and they are not sized for moving a house.
How many free boxes do I need for a 3 bedroom house?
About 40: 15 small, 15 medium and 10 large, going by Wise Move's published NZ box counts. Bought at Bunnings that many light-duty cartons cost about $127.
Sources
Moving soon? Tell us your house and we will size one kit for it, or ask for a removalist quote if you would rather not pack at all.