How Many Moving Boxes Do You Need? A Packing Supplies Guide for Jeddah

Why People Misjudge the Number of Boxes

The step where people who pack for a move themselves most often stumble is the number of boxes. One household buys too few and work stops late at night with no cartons left, while another buys a huge pile and ends up with rooms full of empty cardboard with nowhere to put it. The reason is that judging by looking at a room is misleading: a room that seems large may hold little, and a small cupboard may fill several boxes. So here we suggest estimating by type of belongings rather than by floor area, a method that works for an apartment, a villa or a shared bachelor flat in Jeddah.

We do not give you a magic number because every home is different, but we give you a method that leads to a figure close to your reality, and then we point out the precautions that make an estimation error cheap. The general principle is to start by counting, not buying, to estimate by splitting belongings into categories, and to keep a small margin for surprises.

Step One: Sort Belongings Before Calculating

On paper, divide your home into the following categories, each with its own method:

• Clothes and soft furnishings: usually packed in large light boxes or bags, and they use more volume than weight.
• Books and papers: very heavy for their size, so they need small strong boxes or the box becomes a load nobody can lift.
• Dishes, plates and glasses: need medium strong boxes with dividers and protective paper.
• Small appliances: such as the microwave, blender and iron, which need original boxes or padded ones.
• Electronics: screens, receivers and computers deserve dedicated boxes or special covers.
• Miscellaneous items: bathroom products, cleaning supplies, household tools, gifts and keepsakes.
• Fragile valuables: chandeliers, ornaments, paintings and mirrors, which need individual wrapping and special boxes.

This sorting saves you wandering around the house and lets you calculate logically: estimate each category separately and add the results.

Step Two: Estimate Each Category Practically

Instead of guessing, use simple measurements from your own home:

• Books: measure the length of full shelves in meters. A certain length of shelf fills a small box, so pack one box as a trial to learn how much shelf it takes, then divide.
• Clothes: open each wardrobe and see how many shelves and hanging rails are full, pack one large box as a trial and multiply by the number of similar shelves.
• Dishes: count the drawers and upper and lower kitchen cupboards, pack one box with dishes and protection to see how much it covers.
• Electronics: count the devices and see whether they have original boxes. If not, set aside a cover for each large device and a box for each small group.
• Glass and mirrors: count the pieces and their sizes, because each large piece needs its own cover and perhaps a flat box.

Trial-packing one box per category is the most accurate thing you can do from home, because it turns an estimate from instinct into measurement. After that, multiply by the number of shelves or drawers and add a small margin.

Step Three: Choose Box Sizes Sensibly

A golden rule: the heavier the item, the smaller the box; the lighter the item, the bigger the box. Books go in small boxes, dishes in medium ones, and clothes, bedding and pillows in large ones. If you fill a large box with books nobody can lift it safely and its bottom will collapse. No box should weigh more than a person can lift easily without back pain. This rule protects the crew and your belongings, because heavy boxes sometimes get dropped when the carrier is tired.

Packing Materials Besides Boxes

If you want to see what boxes and supplies are available and how to get them, our page on moving boxes and packing supplies in Jeddah covers that side, while this page helps you work out the quantity.

Boxes are not everything. You will also need:

• Strong packing tape of a suitable width, and plan more than one roll depending on the number of boxes.
• Wrapping paper or clean newsprint to separate dishes, or bubble wrap for delicate items.
• Protective covers or blankets for furniture, which the company usually provides if you use us.
• Sealed bags for bedding, mattresses and pillows.
• Wide markers and labels to number boxes and name rooms.
• Small numbered bags for screws and fittings removed from furniture.
• Straps or ties to hold sliding doors and drawers.

To see what we provide in packing and what you can handle yourself, look at our furniture packing and wrapping page.

A Worked Example: A Two-Bedroom Apartment

Imagine an apartment with two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. Before calculating anything we take a quick tour and write down the categories in each room. In the bedrooms: clothes, bedding and covers, plus some books and personal papers. In the living room: a TV set and devices, decorative pieces and perhaps a bookshelf. In the kitchen: dishes, utensils, small appliances and dry food. In the corridor or bathroom: cleaners and tools. Then we trial-pack one box per category to see how full it gets, divide the number of similar shelves and drawers by the capacity of the box, and enter the boxes in a simple four-column table: category, box size, quantity and a note. This table ends the guesswork and lets you order the right amount or tell the company exactly what you will pack yourself.

How Much Extra to Allow

Add a suitable margin to your estimate for surprises, because items always appear from places you did not think of: high cupboards, storage under beds, things on the balcony or roof. Our advice is a modest margin, and to keep the purchase receipt if the shop accepts returns of unused cartons. It is better to have a few boxes left over than to stop work because cartons ran out.

When to Buy and When to Borrow

New cartons suit dishes, electronics and valuables, while clean, strong used cartons suit clothes, bedding and light items. Before using any used carton make sure its corners are sound, it is dry and free of damp marks or insects, because Jeddah is humid and old cartons may be weak. Never use wet or torn boxes for anything heavy. Some people borrow reusable crates, which saves money if available.

Packing Mistakes That Spoil the Calculation

• Filling a box to the limit with heavy items so it collapses or cannot be carried.
• Leaving gaps inside the box so items move and break, when it is better to fill them with paper or soft clothes.
• Mixing kitchen and bathroom items in one box without numbering.
• Not naming the room the box belongs to, which turns unloading into a puzzle.
• Sealing the bottom with a single strip of tape so it opens under weight.
• Moving sharp tools or spillable liquids without tight covering.

How to Work With Us on Packing

You can pack personal and lower-value items yourself and leave us the furniture, heavy pieces and delicate things. That is a logical split which cuts part of the cost and ensures fragile things are handled with care. Tell us what you packed so we treat it accordingly. If you would rather we handle everything, that is possible too, and the service is on our furniture packing and wrapping page. For more ideas read our expert furniture packing tips and preparing furniture before moving day.

How Packing Relates to Pricing

We have no fixed prices because every home is different, but the truth is that someone who prepares part of the boxes can shorten working time on moving day, which affects the price. The pricing factors are the volume of furniture, number of vehicles, floors, disassembly, packing, distance and moving date. For details you can read our guide to furniture moving prices in Jeddah.

A Stress-Free Packing Timeline

Start two weeks or more before the move if you can, and do not leave everything to the last night. In week one pack the things you do not use every day: books, ornaments and seasonal clothes. In week two pack the kitchen gradually, keeping what you need for cooking and eating. In the last days pack bathrooms and daily items. Number the boxes in one sequence and record their contents on paper or your phone. On the eve of the move prepare an essentials bag: medicine, papers, chargers, tissues, toiletries and some clothes.

Packing Sensitive Items Correctly

TVs and screens travel in their original boxes if you have them, or between rigid cardboard panels without pressing on the screen. Laptops are wrapped in a soft cloth and put in a padded box. Paintings and mirrors travel upright and never flat, with extra layers on the corners. Large household appliances are drained of water and have their internal parts secured. Perfumes, oils and liquids are closed and placed in separate bags inside the box so that spills do not ruin the contents. Mark these boxes as fragile in clear writing.

Distributing Boxes Across Rooms and Planning the Loading

After packing comes distribution, which many forget. Put all the boxes of one room in one place in that room and keep a clear path between the boxes and the door. Place heavy boxes at the bottom and light ones above, without stacking higher than is safe. Mark boxes you will need on the first day in the new home, such as bedding, first aid, simple food and cleaning items, with a visible color and tell the crew to unload them first. That way you do not search dozens of boxes on arrival night for a charger or a cup.

Small Apartment Versus Villa

In a small apartment the problem is usually limited space, since stacked boxes may block doorways and slow the work, so pack one room at a time and take its boxes out before starting another, or agree with us on gradual loading. In a villa the issue is the quantity and the spread of belongings across floors, storerooms, roof and yard, so make sure your inventory walk covers every storage area and annex, and count the boxes for each floor separately. In both cases put one person in charge of numbering so numbers are not repeated or lost.

Things We Do Not Advise Moving At All

Some items are better kept off the truck: gas cylinders and flammable materials, open strong chemical cleaners, perishable food and delicate living plants. Official papers, gold, jewelry, cash and small valuables such as phones and laptops stay with you. Dispose of these items or arrange them separately, which lowers risk, saves space and avoids awkward moments for the crew.

A Final Note on Tape and Sizes

Choose one good tape of suitable width and avoid mixing many types, because some cheap ones lose their grip in heat, and Jeddah is hot for most of the year. Seal the bottom of each box with an H pattern, along the middle seam and both edges, then close the lid the same way. Keep scissors or a small cutter in the essentials box so you can open boxes easily in the new home without cutting the contents. Finally, put a small paper listing the contents inside each box before closing it, as an extra layer of safety if the outer label falls off.

Why We Recommend an Inventory As Well

When you count boxes you have already done half of an inventory, so do not waste it. Give each box a number, a room and a short description, which makes unloading easier and shows quickly if anything is missing. Our page on the inventory list and box labeling system offers a simple way to do it.

Contact Us

If you want us to estimate the volume with you and suggest what you pack yourself and what we handle, call or message us on WhatsApp after sending photos of the rooms, and we will reply with a clear plan. Learn about our services on the furniture moving in Jeddah page.