Moving boxes in Geneva: how many you need, where to find them, how to pack them
For a move in Geneva, allow 15 to 20 boxes for a studio, 25 to 35 for a 1-bedroom flat (2 pièces), 40 to 50 for a 2-bedroom flat (3 pièces) and 55 to 70 for a 3-bedroom flat (4 pièces). Mostly use standard boxes, a few small book boxes and wardrobe boxes for clothes, and stay under 20 kg per box. Here is how many you need, where to find them and how to pack them.
How many boxes do you need?
| Home | Boxes |
|---|---|
| Studio | 15 to 20 |
| 1-bedroom flat (2 pièces) | 25 to 35 |
| 2-bedroom flat (3 pièces) | 40 to 50 |
| 3-bedroom flat (4 pièces) | 55 to 70 |
This is a rough guide: a full bookcase, a well-equipped kitchen or a packed cellar need more. Plan about ten spare boxes.
Which boxes to choose?
- The standard box, for dishes, toys, linen and everyday items.
- The small book box: books are heavy, and a large box full of them becomes impossible to carry.
- The wardrobe box, with its rail, to move clothes on hangers without folding them.
- New, double-wall boxes for anything heavy or fragile: they stack without collapsing.
Where to find boxes in Geneva?
- In DIY and furniture stores: in October 2026, allow about CHF 2.50 to 5 per standard box (Landi, Hornbach, OBI or IKEA, for example).
- Second-hand or free: classified ads, neighbours who have just moved, shops. Fine for linen and light items, but supermarket boxes are often too weak to be stacked in a truck.
- From DL Company: standard box CHF 4, book box CHF 3, wardrobe box CHF 20, delivered before the move (CHF 30 per delivery within the canton of Geneva) or brought on moving day. We also rent reusable crates, on request. See our movers in Geneva.
How to pack a box
- Seal the bottom with two strips of tape in a cross.
- Heavy at the bottom, light on top, and no more than 20 kg: if you cannot lift it easily, it is too heavy.
- Fill the gaps with paper or linen: a box that sounds hollow gets crushed.
- Close the top flat: a bulging or open box cannot be stacked.
- Write the destination room and the contents on two sides, and “fragile” where needed. Number your boxes.
The mistakes we see most often
- Boxes that are too heavy, especially books in large boxes.
- Badly closed boxes, with no tape on the bottom or the lid left open.
- No labels: without a destination room, everything piles up in the living room.
- Supermarket boxes that are too weak, and sag in the truck.
For the rest of your preparation, see our guide Moving to Geneva: the checklist.
