Moving House: Where to Get Boxes (FREE, Cheap & Convenient)
19 Places to get FREE boxes, 4 places to buy cheap and the No 1 most convenient way to get packaging. Our team put together a thorough list for when you’re moving house, where to get boxes in the UK
WHEN MOVING HOUSE: WHERE TO GET BOXES
19 Places to get free cardboard boxes for moving in the UK
Where can I get free boxes for moving? Well, apart from friends and family who’ve just moved, you’ll be surprised how many local retailers and businesses stockpile or recycle boxes from their daily deliveries. And most of them are more than willing to give you moving boxes for free, if you just ask. Not to mention all the places you can find free boxes online.
MOVING HOUSE: WHERE TO GET BOXES FOR FREE ONLINE
1. CHECK OUT FREECYCLE
Guaranteed FREE. Made up of thousands of local groups all over the UK, Freecycle is a non-profit movement/collective of everyday people offering stuff for free – all you have to do is come pick it up. There are loads of free moving boxes on offer all around the UK. See the website here.
How it works is you select the group in your region and see what’s on offer. Just note: Some local groups have chosen to stop activity during Covid-19, so you might have to drive to the next town to pick up your boxes.
2. ASK AROUND AT FREEGLE
Also totally FREE. Freegle is another community-driven movement of people offering and asking for free things. You also select your local group and see if anyone’s offering boxes. Start by typing your town into the location bar at the Freegle website.
3. BROWSE GUMTREE
Believe it or not, Gumtree has a free cardboard boxes section, specifically for the UK. And, even if you can’t find anything near you, you might find a good deal on moving boxes anyway. Check out the Gumtree website.
4. VISIT NEXTDOOR.CO.UK
Another community-initiative that also doubles as a promotional space for local businesses, Nextdoor is all about bringing people together to share and connect. And you’ll often find free boxes here from people nearby who recently moved. To get started, you sign up to your local group via the Nextdoor website.
5. TRY R/FRUGAL ON REDDIT
Social network Reddit is full of advice and tips from real people on finding free and cheap things around the UK. But there’s a dedicated subreddit called r/Frugal where you’re likely to find info on free moving boxes. Check it out on Reddit.
6. CLICK ON NEWSNOW’S CLASSIFIEDS
You won’t believe that mega news-aggregator site NewsNow UK’s classifieds section actually has a category entirely dedicated to free moving boxes in the UK. You can browse from all over, to find what works for you at this link.
7. CONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL FACEBOOK GROUPS
Facebook has loads of local community Groups. Connect with your local network – users are usually more than happy to help you with recommendations.
FREE MOVING BOXES FROM RETAIL OUTLETS AND MALLS
1. ASK AT SUPERMARKETS & GROCERY STORES
They get daily/weekly deliveries from suppliers and merchandisers, who often just discard or recycle the packaging. So ask your grocer.
2. APPLIANCE AND HOME ELECTRONICS SHOPS
More likely to have bigger and speciality boxes, appliance shops always have products on display, meaning the packaging is somewhere in the back – ask, they might still have some.
3. TRY YOUR LOCAL DISCOUNT STORES
Pound shops also get daily deliveries – in fact, they’re very likely to have boxes because they trade in bulk.
4. STOP IN AT OFF LICENCE SHOPS
If you don’t mind using an alcohol-branded box to pack your stuff, the liquor store gets daily/weekly deliveries – and in all sizes of usable boxes.
5. ASK AT LOCAL BOOKSTORES
Important if you have a lot of books to move – bookshops have the right size and shape boxes for moving heavier items, such as books.
6. PRINT & COPY CENTRES
They usually have a load of copier paper boxes, which are nice and uniform, so they stack and handle more easily for your move.
7. SEE YOUR LOCAL PHARMACIES
For smaller boxes for medicines, fragiles and jewellery, your local pharmacy could be ideal.
8. SHOPPING CENTRES & MALLS
A great place to find a lot of different stores all in one spot. What’s great about a shopping centre is they often have a central place for deliveries, recycling and refuse. So, with a bit of luck, centre management could point you to one place where you find every size and shape box you’ll ever need.
FREE MOVING BOXES FROM FOOD, BEVERAGE & SERVICE SHOPS
1. CHECK YOUR PUBS & RESTAURANTS
They also get regular deliveries. Just take hygiene into account, and make sure you only take boxes that are clean.
2. FAST FOOD AND TAKE-AWAY CHAINS
Same here. They get deliveries and might have some boxes to spare. Just bring some disinfectant along and take only the clean ones, please.
3. ASK AT YOUR LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS
Depending on the size of the shop, they probably get regular deliveries, too. And, usually more personable and approachable than other types of shops, if your coffee shop doesn’t have boxes right now, they’re more likely to remember you and agree to keep some aside for you after their next delivery.
MOVING HOUSE: WHERE TO GET BOXES FOR FREE FROM YOUR LOCAL RECYCLING CENTRE
If all else fails, check out the place where all used boxes eventually end up. Your local recycling centre accepts all kinds of boxes, so you might be in luck and find some there. Just take some disinfectant along and make sure whatever you’re taking is hygienic and as clean as possible. You can even locate your nearest recycling centre via this link.
4 Places to buy cheap moving boxes
Where can I buy boxes for moving house – that won’t cost too much? Well, if you’re really hard up or looking for NEW or good-quality secondhand boxes, you can order them online and have them delivered straight to your door.
1. ORDER FROM CARDBOARDBOXES ONLINE
Free delivery. Eco packaging. And they even do custom-made boxes for you. PLUS: They often have sales going on, and you can choose from new to bargain pre-used boxes. If you’re not afraid to wait a few extra days for delivery, you’ll find everything you need at the CardBoardBoxes website.
Price: From 50p per box
2. SEE SADLERS FOR NEW OR SECONDHAND BOXES
This small family-run business in Birmingham specialises in packaging and can deliver to you anywhere – just note that Covid-19 restrictions could mean there are some delays. But you can shop easily enough and find anything you need on the Sadlers website.
Price: From 21p per box
3. GET NEXT-DAY DELIVERY WITH PACKAGING EXPRESS
Best for new and speciality boxes. In fact, the place to get all kinds of packaging material, with next-day delivery. You’ll find a whole selection of options on the Packaging Express website.
Price: From 50p per box
4. ORDER A SET FROM AMAZON
Yes, you can get kits with 10-plus boxes each directly from Amazon, along with tape and everything else you need. And, of course, they have all kinds of rewards and promos, so you could even get your delivery for free from the Amazon website.
Price: From 64p per box
The No 1 most convenient way to get boxes for moving house
Do moving companies provide boxes? Yes! In fact, that’s probably the easiest and most convenient way to get boxes for moving home.
You’ll see that packing, packaging and storage are some of our services here at Biggles Removals, and we offer them on any type of removal. Being in the industry, we have all the contacts to get moving home boxes at the best rates, and our teams will bring the boxes and even pack all your stuff for you while you enjoy a cup of tea. So contact your local removals company.
PLUS: WHAT ARE THE BEST BOXES FOR MOVING HOUSE?
They come in all shapes and sizes, and every move is different. But in general you use 1 or 2-ply boxes for regular items and 3-ply (layer) walled boxes for fragile items (packed with something protective, like bubble wrap). You use smaller boxes for packing heavy items, like books, medium-sized boxes for most household goods, and large boxes for pillows, cushions and bedding. And, as a general rule of thumb, each box should weigh only around 20kg (44 pounds) max.
ABOUT OUR #MOVINGHOME SERIES
Biggles Removals wants to help make moving a breeze, so we’re compiling helpful posts on a range of topics, from switching suppliers when moving home to sourcing boxes, printable checklists & even taking the stress out of moving. Got a removals question, email us at uk@bigglesremovals.com.
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