Where to get free moving boxes
You can collect almost all your moving boxes for free if you give yourself a few weeks. Shops throw cardboard boxes away anyway and are glad to get rid of them. You just need to know where to go, when to go and what not to take.
Supermarkets and smaller shops
Ask in the morning after the goods have been delivered. Shelves are mostly restocked early in the morning, and that's when there are the most boxes. By the afternoon they've usually been flattened in the baler. Ask at the information desk or directly ask a member of staff, not at the till at rush hour.
Chemists and electronics shops have the best cardboard boxes. They're sturdy, clean and dry, because they carry light goods in regular sizes. Fruit and vegetable boxes, on the other hand, are often damp and have no lid.
Bookshops and stationers have smaller, sturdy boxes. Exactly the ones you need for books, and you don't have to reinforce them at all.
The office and work
Copier paper boxes are ideal. They have a sturdy bottom, a separate lid, handles on the sides and are all the same size, so they stack perfectly. Every larger company throws away dozens of them a month.
Parcel pick-up points and furniture shops
Parcel pick-up points are a source people forget about. People unpack their goods on the spot and leave the boxes behind. Ask the staff when they take out the rubbish and come shortly before.
Furniture shops have large flat cardboard boxes. They're handy for pictures, mirrors, table tops and shelves — exactly the things that won't fit in an ordinary box. Just cut them open and fold them to the size of the item.
Neighbours and classified ads
Try classified ad sites and local groups where you live. Anyone who has just moved is wondering what to do with their boxes, and they most often give them away for free. Look a few days after a weekend, when the most people move.
Post in your building's group or put a note up in the entrance. In a larger building there's almost always someone with flattened boxes in the cellar left over from buying furniture.
Collect them as you go and store them flat. Flattened boxes take up minimal space, and a last-minute collection never works out. You'll find more tips on our blog.
How to recognise a box that will last
What to look for
Check the corrugated layer at the cut edge. Double-wall cardboard has two corrugated layers and can carry noticeably more than single-wall. For books and crockery, only take double-wall boxes.
Turn down damp and warped boxes. Cardboard that has soaked up water loses most of its strength and never regains its shape, even once it dries. You'll recognise it by soft corners and a wavy surface.
Leave food boxes with organic residue alone. Boxes from meat, fish, dairy products or fruit can smell and bring uninvited guests into your flat. Dry, clean boxes from non-perishable goods are fine.
Boxes with a lid, or at least with flaps, are best. Without top flaps you have nothing to close and you can't put anything on them, so you can't stack them on top of each other.
How to make a used box reliable
Always tape the bottom in a cross. The glue on used boxes is worn out, and the bottom is where they most often give way — halfway up the stairs.
Reinforce the corners with tape along their full length. It takes ten seconds and noticeably increases the load they can carry.
Don't overfill them. With collected boxes, expect a lower load capacity than with new ones. If a box's bottom is sagging before you even lift it, move some of the contents elsewhere.
Where to store the boxes before D-day
Keep flattened boxes dry. A cellar with a damp floor will ruin your collection within a week. Stand them on edge on a pallet, a board or at least a plastic sheet, and don't put them right up against the wall.
Don't throw away the surplus straight after the move. A few boxes come in handy for seasonal things, and people nearby will quickly take the rest if you offer them the same way you found them yourself. Flatten any cardboard nobody wants and take it to the paper recycling bin.
When buying new ones pays off
Get new boxes for fragile items and books. A broken dinner service or dented electronics cost more than a few new boxes. You can happily move the rest of your household in collected ones.
Mixed sizes take up space in the van. Collected boxes tend to all be different and can't be stacked into neat columns, so you need a slightly bigger van. You'll find cargo area dimensions in our fleet and the rental terms in the FAQ.
