Where to Get Free Moving Boxes

A three bedroom house typically needs somewhere between 40 and 60 boxes to pack properly, and buying that many new can easily cost £80 or more. The good news is that free boxes are usually sitting around your local area in large quantities, you just need to know where to ask.

1. Supermarkets

This is the classic option for good reason. Supermarkets go through huge numbers of sturdy boxes every day and are usually happy to give them away rather than send them for recycling. Ask at the customer service desk or speak to staff at the back of the shop, and go in the morning when deliveries have just been unpacked for the best choice.

2. Local Independent Shops

Bottle shops, bookshops, and appliance stores tend to have boxes that are already a useful size and strength for moving. Wine and bottle boxes are particularly good because they usually have dividers built in, which makes them ideal for glasses, jars, and other breakables.

3. Facebook Marketplace and Local Groups

Search for moving boxes or packing boxes on Facebook Marketplace, and check community groups for your town. It is common for people who have just moved in to give away a stack of clean, still usable boxes for free, since they have nowhere to store them and no further need for them.

4. Freecycle and Freegle

These sites exist specifically for giving away items people no longer want, and moving boxes come up regularly. Post a request yourself if nothing is currently listed, since plenty of people would rather hand boxes on than break them down for recycling.

5. Your Workplace

Offices receive regular deliveries of paper, stationery, and equipment, all of which arrive in decent, uniform sized boxes. Ask whoever handles deliveries if you can take a batch home, particularly around the end of the month when stock deliveries tend to be heaviest.

6. Recycling Centres and Skip Hire Companies

Some local recycling centres allow you to take usable cardboard before it is baled for processing. It is worth a phone call to ask, as policies vary by site and by council.

7. Removal and Storage Companies

Many removal companies keep a stock of good quality used boxes returned by previous customers and will pass them on cheaply or for free rather than throwing them away. It costs nothing to ask when you get your quote.

8. University Halls and Student Areas

At the end of each term, student areas generate a huge number of discarded but perfectly usable boxes as people move out. If you live near a university, this is one of the easiest times of year to pick up a large stack in one trip.

Once you have your boxes, our guide on packing tips for moving house will help you use them well. If you would rather skip the box hunt altogether, our packing service includes all materials.