The volume of your belongings, measured in cubic metres (m³), is what determines how big a truck and how many movers you need — and with that, a large part of the price. Here's a simple rule of thumb before you fill in our calculator.
Use the moving calculator to work out the price of your move →
1What is a cubic metre of belongings?
It is the volume your furniture and boxes take up packed in the truck, not the square metres of your home. A sofa, a bed and ten moving boxes take up different amounts of space depending on their size and how they are packed.
A standard moving box holds about 50–60 litres, so roughly 16–20 boxes fit in one cubic metre. A three-seater sofa takes about 1.5–2 m³, a double bed with mattress about the same and a fridge just under 1 m³.
21-room apartment (about 3–12 m³)
A smaller apartment with a bed, a sofa, a dining table and about a dozen boxes. The smallest volume in our calculator.
If you live minimally you end up at the lower end of the range. Lots of books, a bicycle, winter tyres or a full basement storage room quickly push the volume up.
32-room apartment (about 13–22 m³)
A bedroom, living room and kitchen with more furniture — a wardrobe, a sofa set, more boxes of clothes and kitchenware.
Here storage is often what decides it: two wardrobes full of clothes and a storage room can equal all the furniture in the living room.
43-room apartment (about 23–32 m³)
More rooms mean more furniture per room, often also bookshelves, a desk and seasonal items that take up extra space.
A home office with desk, shelves and binders takes more space than you might think. Also count balcony furniture and whatever is in the basement storage.
54-room apartment (about 33–45 m³)
Larger households with children often have extra furniture such as children’s beds, toys and more storage, which noticeably increases the volume.
Pram, bicycles, sledges and seasonal gear count too. At this size a larger truck or two trips are often needed.
6House or townhouse (46 m³ and up)
More rooms, storage, a basement and an attic are often filled with things you don’t notice in everyday life but that still need to go in the truck.
Do not forget the garage, garden furniture, barbecue, lawnmower and tools. In a house it is common for a large part of the volume to be outside the living area itself.
7Better to round up a little
Underestimating the volume can mean the move needs an extra trip with the truck. Use our calculator as a starting point, and let us know if you have bulky items like a piano, gym equipment or a lot of storage, so we can give you a more accurate quote.
Feel free to send photos of the rooms in the chat – then we can assess the volume for you and give a fixed price.
Volume or square metres – what does the calculator use?
Our calculator is based on the area of your home in square metres, because that is the figure most people know straight away. The idea is the same: more square metres normally means more belongings and more hours of work. If you have unusually many or unusually few things for your area, tell us and we adjust the estimate.
What affects the price as much as volume
Two moves with the same volume can take very different amounts of time. A floor without a lift, a long carry from the entrance to the truck, heavy items and the drive between the addresses affect the time at least as much. That is why we always ask about floor, lift and parking when you request a quote.
How to work it out yourself, room by room
Walk through your home with pen and paper. Write down the large furniture in each room and estimate the number of boxes – the kitchen, bookcases and wardrobes usually need the most. Then add it up: large pieces count as roughly 0.5–2 m³ each, and 16–20 boxes make one cubic metre.
Add storage, balcony and basement, and round up by 10–15 per cent. There is almost always more than you think, especially if you have lived at the same address for a long time. Easier still: photograph every room and send us the pictures.
One trip or two?
We decide the size of the truck and the number of trips from the details you give us. For a studio or one-bedroom flat one trip is usually enough; larger homes may need two. The better the details, the smaller the risk of an extra run.
