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How many moving boxes do I need?
Most New Zealand houses need more boxes than people expect: about 25 for a one-bedroom flat, about 40 for a three-bedroom house, and about 55 for a four-bedroom. The calculator below adjusts those figures for your kitchen, your books, your hanging clothes and how much you are getting rid of.
Last checked 16 September 2026
Where do these box counts come from?
The base counts come from Wise Move’s published New Zealand table of boxes by house size: 25 boxes for a one-bedroom, 30 for a two-bedroom, 40 for a three-bedroom and 55 for a four-bedroom. We use published figures rather than inventing our own, because they are public and you can check them.
| House | Small | Medium | Large | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | 10 | 10 | 5 | 25 |
| 2 bedrooms | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
| 3 bedrooms | 15 | 15 | 10 | 40 |
| 4 bedrooms | 20 | 20 | 15 | 55 |
Source: Wise Move’s New Zealand moving box guide. Figures are boxes only and exclude tape, paper and wardrobe boxes.
What changes how many boxes you need?
Four things move the number more than anything else: the kitchen, which is worth five to ten boxes on its own; books, which do not compress; the garage, which nobody counts; and how ruthless you are, because a real clear-out reliably takes a fifth off the total.
- The kitchen. A full kitchen is worth five to ten boxes on its own, and they are the slowest to pack.
- Books. Books do not compress. A serious collection can add ten small boxes by itself.
- The garage. The room nobody counts, and the one that ends up with the most odd-shaped boxes.
- How ruthless you are. A real clear-out reliably takes a fifth off the total.