There are plenty of ways to keep the cost of moving down. One simple way to do this is to find free boxes to safely pack up your possessions.
Whether you’re moving from an apartment, condo, house, or dorm room, you’ll likely have more possessions to pack than thought.
If you’re moving an office or business, you’re equally bound to need countless boxes in which to fit all your equipment, technology, paper and stationery. Depending on what industry you work in, and how big or small the company you’re moving, the amount of boxes required could be huge.
Without boxes to pack everything in, your move will be disorganized and unpacking will be even more of a hassle. Strong, sturdy boxes are essential to organization when it comes to planning a move. But don’t worry! Finding boxes for free is possible, and sometimes simple. Read on for more top tips on where to find free boxes for your move.
Contact Your Moving Company for Boxes
If you’re moving with a moving company like ShoreView, your moving team should be the first port of call. Luckily for you, most moving companies will give each of their customers some free used boxes as part of their contract. However, they don’t usually give these out until a contract is signed.
ShoreView gives out five free used boxes per thousand pounds of estimated weight. That means that the scale of your move will certainly be dependent on how many you receive. A large scale move might mean you receive 100 boxes, but if you’re conducting a smaller move, you might receive only 20 boxes.
Free Boxes at the Liquor Store
Once the boxes you have stored up have depleted, one of the best spots to find more is at the liquor store, especially one that sells wine! Wine stores often buy wine by the case, but customers more commonly buy it by the bottle. Liquor companies often go through countless boxes and are looking to get rid of them. If you’re in luck, the store manager will let you take as many as you need.
Free Boxes at Office Supplies Companies
Stores that sell office supplies, such as Staples or Office Max, also tend to have a lot of boxes that they’re looking to get rid of. Depending on the store manager, they might be happy to give you some of the boxes they no longer need because it saves on the cost of labor and removal.
Free Boxes at Costco
If you have a Costco membership, it might also be worth taking a trip to your local Costco store. Costco allows its customers to pack their groceries and other purchases in its empty boxes – you can take as many as you need as you pack up your purchases, then reuse them for packing when you get home.
Craigslist
Take a look under the “Free” Section on Craigslist to see if there are any free boxes available in your area. Anyone who has just finished moving is likely to want to get rid of the boxes once they’ve finished unpacking, and might be looking to give them away online.
Freecycle
Take a look at Freecycle.org. The Freecycle network aims to reduce waste and promote community. Similar to the Craigslist “Free” section, Freecycle can help you find local people looking to get rid of the boxes you need – for free!
Facebook
Facebook is another great way to connect with existing friends and new acquaintances that might be looking to get rid of boxes they no longer need.
- Share a post with your friends asking if anyone local to you has boxes they no longer need
- Join a local community group and post a message requesting boxes
Apartment Buildings
If you live in an apartment building, ask neighbors if they know of anyone that has recently moved in or is looking to get rid of boxes. Alternatively, try calling the office to see if the apartment complex staff know of any boxes left by previous tenants.
Packing Your Boxes
Don’t forget that getting your free boxes is just the beginning! Plan out which items you will pack together to work out an estimate of how many boxes you might need. Think about:
- Keeping fragile items safe throughout your move
- Shapes and sizes – try and make the best use of space that you can
- Organization – pack related items together, to make unpacking as simple as possible
- Consider labelling your boxes by room and contents
Good Luck Box Hunting!
The ShoreView team wishes you luck with finding the boxes you need, packing and taking on your move! Do not hesitate to contact the ShoreView team should you need any further advice, guidance or assistance with your move and check out our moving company reviews to learn more from satisfied customers.