If you’re moving house in London, you’re going to need boxes, and lots of them. Finding enough or the right kind of boxes for all of your belongings can be a real challenge, especially if you don’t fancy paying a fortune for them.
Luckily, we have some insider tips for where to find free cardboard boxes in West London. Give these a try:
• Supermarkets and shops. Major retailers, including supermarkets and appliance shops, are places that are the most likely to have a large quantity of boxes. You can also try off-licences and fruit and veg shops, retailers who’ll have boxes of the right size and strength for your purposes. Most retailers will be happy to let you take them off their hands, but you may need to visit a few places to get the numbers and sizes you need.
Supermarkets in West London where you can free cardboard boxes
• Freecycle and Freegle sites. You’ll be amazed what you can find for free on sites such as this (or local Facebook groups), and cardboard boxes are often listed for free. People who have just moved house realise just how useful their old boxes can be for others, so are happy to give them away.
• Friends and family who have recently moved. Do a shout-out on social media to see if anyone you know has just moved, as it’s likely that they’ll have a load of boxes just lying around.
• Recycling centres. This may not be the easiest way to find free cardboard boxes in West London, but it’s worth a try if money’s tight. If you’re prepared to get your hands dirty, you can pick up all the boxes you need at your local recycling and waste management centre. Ask the staff there if you can have a look at the cardboard recycling section. As long as they agree and it’s safe to do so, you can have a rummage and will likely find at least a few free cardboard boxes.
Beware: free boxes can be unstable boxes
We would be remiss in our duties as professional West London movers if we didn’t mention a very important consideration that you must keep in mind when getting hold of boxes.
Free boxes, begged and borrowed from wherever you can, are not always the most suitable for moving. They aren’t reinforced in the same way as proper moving boxes, nor are they as strong. This can lead to instability, with boxes collapsing spectacularly at the very worst moments.
At best, it’ll be annoying having to pick all of your books, papers or other bits and pieces off the street. At worst, it could result in a valued item or breakables being smashed to pieces as the box is moved. Can you take the risk?
To prevent this from happening, either be extra careful about what you pack in what type of box or use professional moving cardboard boxes. Kiwi Movers are happy to supply moving boxes, and we are proud to offer a range of sizes at an affordable price.
