Are you moving house soon? If you are, then you should keep in mind that the relocation process often proves to be an expensive affair, so it pays off to find and use little cost-saving techniques to save money here and there. Yes, it’s the little things that will help you save up the most and end the move with a satisfied smile on your face instead of a depressing frown.
If you plan to pack up your belongings by yourself, then you’ll be glad to know that that is already one of the major cost saving strategies when moving to another home. Why? Professional packing services, including all the high quality packing supplies they bring with them, can be too costly for your limited moving budget. So yes, self-packing is great for keeping your moving costs under control, but what about all the cardboard boxes you will need for that tough packing job?
The great news here is that there are excellent places where you can get free cardboard boxes in good overall condition. That’s right – good moving boxes for free! After all, why pay more for something when you can get it free of charge, right?
Right. Make your move more affordable by getting familiar with the best places that offer free cardboard moving boxes.
#1: Friends who have just moved house
People tend to move house frequently and it’s possible that someone from your circle of friends has also relocated recently without you knowing about it. And if that is the case, that somebody will definitely have move cardboard boxes that he or she can ever need. What happens is that once the move is over, most people will be impatient to get rid of all the moving containers that they won’t need anymore. Space is a crucial factor too – boxes can take up plenty of room unless they are broken down carefully and stored away for later use.
So, what is the best way to learn if a friend of yours has moved recently and has empty boxes for moving you can have just for the asking? Take full advantage of the unrivaled reach of modern social networks and post a short message on Facebook or Twitter that you need free moving boxes – something like “HELP! I’m moving! Whoever gives me the most cardboard boxes for moving will get a big friendly hug.”.
Then, all you can do is keep your fingers crossed that someone will answer back with good news.
It is hardly surprising that the Internet can help you find free cardboard boxes for moving – you only need to know where to look for them. Two of the most popular websites where you can get free cardboard boxes in the UK are Freecycle and Craigslist.
Need an indispensable helper in finding free moving boxes? Meet Mimbo. Mimbo’s first piece of advice to you: “Read the entire article!“
Freecycle consists of more than 5,000 groups with over 9 million members in the entire world. The Freecycle Network is a non-profit network where registered people (free membership) give away and get all types of stuff (for free!) in their own communities in order to help people in need and keep still usable items out of landfills. Note that items must be posted for free. The basic idea behind this great concept is that people are helping people and “changing the world one gift at a time”. A quick Freecycle search in the London area produced a good number of offers for free cardboard boxes, so this is definitely a good way to initiate your pre-move hunt for the King of packing supplies, free of charge at that! Also, it’s a good idea to post a short message in the WANTED section because the people who want to get rid of their no longer needed containers will probably take a look at that section first.
Craigslist is another good option to find free moving boxes near you. A simple search on the popular website should give you an idea if there are cardboard boxes you can have for free in your immediate area. If you do happen to find free boxes for moving on Craigslist but the pickup location is too far from your home, you might want to rethink your strategy due to the additional transportation costs you will incur. And let’s not forget the lost time for the retrieval of the free moving boxes too!
Another excellent way to score free moving boxes is to contact the largest retail shops in your surrounding area and ask their managers if they can spare any cardboard boxes that they won’t need. Matched only by being helped out by close friends, this idea for free moving boxes is usually your best bet to save big on your packing supplies. So, what are you waiting for?
The major businesses that give away free moving boxes are:
Supermarkets. Ask the managers of the big and smaller supermarkets around you which days and around what time they get large shipments of supplies so that you can be able to get the cardboard boxes right away. In most cases your request should be okay-ed because you will save them time and resources to recycle the boxes. The majority of retailers won’t be too keen to keep empty boxes for long simply due to the fact that the containers will quickly clutter up their storage space. Timing plays a major role here so make sure you appear at the arranged time to pick up some boxes in excellent condition.
Large shopping centres. Modern shopping malls are huge and there are tons of different shops in them but the predominant ones are clothing shops and shoe shops. Shoe boxes are sturdy, clean and come in different sizes – something that is more than welcome for you. See if you can call up or visit in person such stores in advance, so that they can keep you in mind. If you don’t have much luck there, try the bins behind the shopping mall – they may be overflowing with cardboard boxes. If you spot a sign CARDBOARD ONLY there, then that means BINGO for you.
Appliances and home electronics shops. Such shops can offer large and clean boxes for your upcoming household move. If the containers turn out to be are too big for your needs, you can still take them with the purpose of cutting them up and using the sturdy cardboard as padding material. Why not utilize the cut-out pieces of thick cardboard to protect your home /staircases, carpets, corners, fragile items/ on moving day? Free cardboard like that is hard to turn down.
Bookshops. Out of all the places to find free cardboard boxes for your next move, bookshops are ideal for finding those extra strong containers that have been designed to hold heavy books. Even if you decide not to use them for packing your book collection, such sturdier-than-usual moving boxes can hold all types of household items without any problems.
Remember: it’s nice to get moving containers for free but just because you are not paying for them doesn’t mean that you should necessarily take them all. After all, your goal is to save money from packing materials and keep your prized possessions safe at the same time. Take a closer look at what you are offered, and accept only boxes that are 1) clean, 2) strong, and 3) dry. Also, free moving boxes with lids are always a good idea.
Yes, you need free moving boxes. But are you looking hard enough?
Local fruit/vegetable shops. Obtaining strong apple boxes is the usual goal here but the real gems are the banana boxes – they are smaller in size and easier to carry as a result. Those banana boxes are not collapsible but hey, at least they are free and are very versatile when you’re packing for a move. If you get really lucky, your local shop for fruits and vegetables will let you have plastic fruit crates – the best moving containers you can possible get hold of.
Copy centres. Copier paper boxes are one of the best boxes you can ever find. This is, in fact, a well-known secret! These boxes are strong enough – paper is heavy despite the airy feel of individual sheets, cram 500 sheets in one small confined space and you’ll notice the difference. Also, copier paper boxes all have lids, are uniform in size, and can have convenient handles for carrying around. They are perfect for packing books, for example, but anything will do. If you happen to have friends who work in an office and use copier paper regularly, then that’s a good chance to score free moving boxes for your move.
Liquor stores. Liquor stores, as well as bars and restaurants have these small and super strong boxes made to withstand the weight of all types of bottles, cans, and such. Be aware that some of these liquor boxes you manage to obtain won’t have lids but you can still put them to good use in the height of the packing marathon.
Ultimately, the best place for free moving boxes can still be your local recycling centre – the very spot some people take their unwanted cardboard boxes to be recycled. Are you secretly hoping of finding a mountain of broken down cardboard boxes? Then make sure you pay a visit to your nearby recycling facility and have a word with the attendant or the manager there. Believe it or not, some of these boxes may have come directly from local removal companies.
Again, free of charge is nice but you need clean and dry cardboard containers without any wet spots, worn out areas, unidentified stains, or even bugs of any sort. Inspect extra carefully each and every moving box! You definitely don’t want to go home with dangerous tiny insects (paper mites is the general term). So, if you notice something moving even a microscopic distance, stay away from the box in question. In such cases, safety is far more important than saving some money with free cardboard boxes.
If you can afford it (How much does it cost to hire removals?), the best option out there is to purchase all of your packing supplies brand new. This way, you will save a lot of time and you won’t have to worry about the condition of your cardboard boxes. To make things much easier for you, you should definitely consider hiring the services of professional packers if your moving budget allows it.
If your entire city were made of cardboard, do you think that would facilitate your hunt for free cardboard boxes?
Professional packing means zero worries about your cherished possessions and a professional guarantee that they will reach your new home in the condition they left the old one. What’s more, should something unexpectedly bad happens to any of your household items either on the road /pretty unlikely/ or on the way to the waiting moving vehicle /unlikely/, your professional removal company should be adequately insured to cover the potential damage to your stuff.
Finally, here’s our last piece of advice: when looking for free moving boxes: the moment your house move is over and you’re done unpacking your stuff, don’t be quick to throw away the still usable cardboard boxes. Instead, think about all the people who would really appreciate your moving containers. It takes so little effort on your part, really: ask your friends if somebody needs free moving boxes, spread the message that you have spare boxes to give away in Freecycle and Craigslist. If, for some reason, nobody wants them, then you can simply take them to the closest recycling centre and leave them there for proper disposal.
Miss Smith,
Thank you. Do you know of any “one-way” crate hire firms – to obviate long distance returns of empty crates? Moving from N. Surrey to near Tamworth by octogenarian!?
Hi, I am looking for some free removal boxes as we are moving in just under 3 weeks. Could you help in telling me were I can get some. I live in stoke Gifford, Bristol.
Thanks for advice! Make sure to pack your items using as few boxes as possible. It makes a huge difference to have a few big boxes versus a lot of small ones. This seemed like a cheap, easy solution. Loved this post…Thanks for sharing!
Boxes are always available from supermarkets and local stores however you tend to find that a lot are either damaged or not very sturdy. You will find maybe the odd box but to be honest it can end up being very time consuming.
For the cost a moving box from a genuine supplier you are reassured that you are getting a quality product that has additional features such as self sealing to keep your possessions safe.
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Are you moving house soon? If you are, then you should keep in mind that the relocation process often proves to be an expensive affair, so it pays off to find and use little cost-saving techniques to save money here and there. Yes, it’s the little things that will help you save up the most and end the move with a satisfied smile on your face instead of a depressing frown.
Miss Smith,
Thank you. Do you know of any “one-way” crate hire firms – to obviate long distance returns of empty crates? Moving from N. Surrey to near Tamworth by octogenarian!?
Thank you so much for your advice! I’ve signed up for my local Freecycle and have found people giving out new and used cardboard removal boxes!
Very useful piece of information!
Thanks again
Hi, I am looking for some free removal boxes as we are moving in just under 3 weeks. Could you help in telling me were I can get some. I live in stoke Gifford, Bristol.
Thanks for advice! Make sure to pack your items using as few boxes as possible. It makes a huge difference to have a few big boxes versus a lot of small ones. This seemed like a cheap, easy solution. Loved this post…Thanks for sharing!
Boxes are always available from supermarkets and local stores however you tend to find that a lot are either damaged or not very sturdy. You will find maybe the odd box but to be honest it can end up being very time consuming.
For the cost a moving box from a genuine supplier you are reassured that you are getting a quality product that has additional features such as self sealing to keep your possessions safe.
Hope this helps Erica x
Freecycle too x
Just moved via a removal company, and have over 70 large and small boxes to dispose.my area is BR6. Orpington/Chelsfield
I know a lot of people donate moving boxes on BoxGiver