Comments on: Acquiring and purging moving boxes

By: Whyfly

Whyfly — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:49:36 +0000

With two booklovers in our household, we’ve just flat out bought some cardboard boxes designed for file storage. They stack neatly (important when you’ve got 30+ boxes of books alone), and after the move I just break them down, put them in a heavy duty garbage bag in 10s, and store them. (Luckily the time we lived in a no storage area we could store them in a friend’s attic).

And I always pack a bag with a week’s worth of clothes and essentials. That way I can focus on unpacking the kitchen, and don’t have to worry about what box has my socks, and if I can get to it.

By: Nick Archer

Nick Archer — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:50:58 +0000

Caution against using boxes from grocery stores! They may contain roaches and other pests and their eggs! I found out from (nasty) experience. Instead try bookstores and liquor stores.

By: Mary Sue

Mary Sue — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:40:01 +0000

After 13 moves in 10 years, I’ve discovered the best thing to move paperback books in is doubled-up paper bags. It makes them a manageable weight (no thrown-out backs!) and once you’re done, you either reuse or recycle.

I also have six 30-gallon plastic containers, if they fill up and I still have stuff to move, then I start getting rid of things. Then when I get to home, I nest them up, toss an afghan over them, and use ‘em as a footstool.

By: Another Deb

Another Deb — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:47:04 +0000

School warehouses and school copy centers also have a lot of those computer paper boxes.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:49:31 +0000

We move so often that I never get rid of our boxes. Right now they’re in our off-site storage along with the useful (seriously) things we just can’t fit in our tiny place.

By: Jeri Dansky

Jeri Dansky — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:37:39 +0000

Good suggestions so far - here are a couple more.

For those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area, there’s Bay Area Box Express - very similar concept to usedcardboardboxes.com.
http://bayareaboxexpress.com/

And when I worked for a Large Corporation, I always likked the boxes that paper for printers and copiers comes in; it’s a good size for books.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:56:25 +0000

I’d like to second the suggestion for usedcardboardboxes.com. They are great! And after my move I gave them to a friend who was moving.

By: supersocco

supersocco — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:28:27 +0000

Call your local Starbucks and ask for boxes. They have loads, and are a convenient size.

By: Andamom

Andamom — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:41:34 +0000

Here are some other moving ideas:

1) We always stop at the liquor store for their reinforced boxes that they are throwing away. These work well for books.
2) We’ve used our dresser drawers with newspaper or a towel covering — And if you stick breakable items between layers of clothing, it saves a ton of time.
3) Tupperware is great for storing small items that you’re afraid might get lost in the move…
4) Roll up posters in (clean) carpets…
5) Use your luggage to pack things that you’ll need immediately in your new place — a change of clothes for each person, toiletries, and a few incidental items…

Of course, ahead of time: Give away, recycle, donate, and throw away as much as you can. Don’t move what you don’t need!

By: AndreaZak

AndreaZak — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:10:25 +0000

How about simply renting boxes and saving the landfills/recycling costs.

http://www.earthfriendlymoving.com
Currently in SoCal, looking to expand nationwide. You pay to rent crates for your move; the company drops them off at location A and picks them up after your move to location B.

http://www.rentacrate.com is available nationwide. Though its focus seems to be on office moves, it also supplies residential moves with reusable shipping supplies.

By: Sandra Carroll

Sandra Carroll — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:17:01 +0000

As a professional organizer, I really enjoy this blog. Here is an online source for gently used boxes to buy and to return. They deliver and pick up also. Seems like a good deal.
http://www.usedcardboardboxes.com/index.php

By: Lorie Marrero

Lorie Marrero — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:43:22 +0000

My friend Genevieve Auguste, who owns the company “Art of Moving,” says you need to remember that getting used boxes may mean that you also get an insect infestation from the boxes’ previous owners! Also produce boxes contain a lot of chemicals… so consider that as well. — Lorie Marrero, http://www.clutterdiet.com

By: Mssr.Pants

Mssr.Pants — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:38:46 +0000

Another source of boxes is liquor stores, which are a good place to visit around a move anyway. In Virginia, all the liquor stores are state run, and they seem pretty used to peopel asking for these in more densely populated areas. They are all smaller than bankers boxes and may need a little extra tape, but they were designed to hold a bunch of glass bottles full of liquid, so they usually hold up pretty well.

By: Kim

Kim — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:50:06 +0000

Um…might want to edit that to “prospective movers” rather than “perspective movers” which makes me think they are like MC Escher and have a thing about perspectives and such.

Otherwise, the blog is always great and this is a useful tip!

By: heather

heather — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:02:34 +0000

I have moved several times and found all the boxes I needed on Craigslist for free. Then, when I was done with them, I listed them myself and they were gone within 12 hours.