A 900 square foot one-bedroom apartment takes about 55 boxes: in our own move it was 30 small and 25 medium boxes, roughly 120 cubic feet of stuff, which is 48 to 50 moving totes. One moving tote holds about 1.5 small boxes or 0.8 medium boxes. That is why our 1-bedroom package is 40 totes, and why we tell people with a full kitchen and a closet to size up to the 55-tote package.
Where the number comes from
We moved a 900 square foot one-bedroom ourselves before we started renting totes. It took 30 small boxes (about 1.5 cubic feet each) and 25 medium boxes (about 3 cubic feet each): roughly 120 cubic feet packed. Kitchen and closets were half of it. That move is the yardstick for every tote count on this site.
Boxes to totes
Our totes are 27 x 17 x 12 inches, about 2.4 cubic feet of usable space. So one tote is about 1.5 small boxes or 0.8 of a medium box. To convert a box estimate: small boxes divided by 1.5, plus medium boxes divided by 0.8. For the move above: 30 ÷ 1.5 = 20, plus 25 ÷ 0.8 = 31, which is 51 totes. Round to the nearest package and size up.
Room by room
| Room | Totes | Small boxes, roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | 12 to 15 | 13 totes is about 20 |
| Bedroom | 8 to 10 each | 9 totes is about 14 |
| Living room | 6 to 8 | 7 totes is about 11 |
| Bathroom | 2 to 3 | 2 totes is about 3 |
| Office / den | 6 to 8 | 7 totes is about 11 |
| Garage / basement | 12+ | 12 totes is about 18 |
| Closets and linens | 4 to 6 | 5 totes is about 8 |
A one-bedroom is a kitchen, a bedroom, a living room, a bathroom, and closets: 36 totes at the midpoints, more with a home office or a lot of books. The calculator on the packages page adds it up and picks the package.
What people forget
- The kitchen is always bigger than it looks. Plates and glasses pack loose, and a tote of dishes is heavy, so they spread across more totes than you expect.
- Closets and linens: coats, bedding, towels, shoes. Four to six totes on their own.
- Books. A tote of books weighs about 50 pounds, our limit per tote, so books take more totes than their shelf space suggests.
- The last day. Whatever is still out on moving morning needs somewhere to go. Keep four or five totes empty for it.
Why sizing up costs nothing
Totes you never open ride back with us at pickup, no charge. Running out on moving day means a trip for boxes and tape. The jump from the 1-bedroom to the 2-bedroom package is $40 for 15 more totes and a second dolly.
Where to next
See every package and price, or read: What tote rental costs in Rochester, Totes vs cardboard boxes, Attached-lid totes vs storage bins .