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Apartment Moving Guide: One-Bedroom

Posted: August 22, 2023
Group of friends packing up and moving a two-bedroom apartment.

Planning to move to or from a one-bedroom apartment? Look no further. Moving Help® has compiled everything you’ll need to pull off an apartment move in this guide, from what truck to rent to how many moving supplies you’ll need that’ll fit your budget.

Looking for help with a different size place? We also created guides for a studio and two-bedroom move.

What Size Truck Do I Need for a One-Bedroom?

Most one-bedroom apartment moves will need a 10′ truck rental.

Apartment SizeTruck Size
1-Bedroom (Average amount of belongings)10′ Truck
1-Bedroom (More than average amount of belongings)15′ Truck

Picking the right size moving truck is an important part of setting yourself up for a successful move.

You don’t want to rent too small of a truck and risk running out of room. On the other hand, too big of a truck can leave extra space and lead to load shift that might damage your belongings. You can always get advice from your professional apartment moving labor providers on which truck size they think you’ll need for your apartment move.

How Many U-Box® Moving Containers Do I Need for a One-Bedroom?

You will likely only need two U-Box containers to pull off moving to a one-bedroom apartment.

One U-Box container, which has a 257 cubic feet capacity, can hold more than you might think. Customers are usually able to fit a room to a room and a half of furniture and belongings per container.

Apartment Size# of U-Box Containers
1-Bedroom (Average amount of belongings)2 U-Box Containers
1-Bedroom (More than average amount of belongings)3 U-Box Containers

How Many Moving Boxes Do I Need for a One-Bedroom?

You will need about 40 moving boxes in a variety of sizes to successfully move a one-bedroom apartment.

Apartment SizeSmall BoxesMedium BoxesLarge Boxes
1-Bedroom (Average amount of belongings)10 Small Boxes20 Medium Boxes10 Large Boxes
1-Bedroom (More than average amount of belongings)15 Small Boxes25 Medium Boxes10 Large Boxes

Worried you might be buying too many boxes? It’s better to have leftover boxes than be in a time crunch and run out. U-Haul centers accept returns for all unused boxes when you keep your receipt.

Don’t forget to grab specialty boxes. You will likely need just one dish saver kit, two to three wardrobe boxes, and a TV box for each flat screen you have.

What Moving Supplies Do I Need for a One-Bedroom?

If you want to find all moving supplies and boxes you need to move your one-bedroom in one place, check out this moving kit offered by U-Haul. Feel free to easily adjust the number of boxes and supplies to fit your specific needs.

What we recommend:

  • 1 box of packing paper: This will provide extra protection for fragile items.
  • 1 set of box markers with knife: This will provide you way to label boxes while packing and then easily open boxes when unpacking.
  • 1 mattress bag for every mattress: You can protect your mattress from dirt, dust, moisture, and bugs when using a mattress bag.
  • 1 roll of stretch plastic wrap: You stretch plastic to secure and protect furniture or larger items.
  • 2 packs of bubble wrap: The cushioning material helps protect extra fragile or breakable items.
  • 2 or 3 rolls of paper packing tape: The box packing tape will make sure your boxes stay closed and securely shut tight.
  • 1 to 2 dozen furniture pads: Furniture pads offer extra protection for furniture, such as a mattress, during transit. You can save money when you rent them instead of buying them.

If you choose to move with U-Box moving and storage containers, don’t forget that each one comes with two dozen complimentary rental furniture pads.

How Long Does It Take to Move a One-Bedroom?

On average, it’ll take a two-person Moving Help crew about two hours to move a one-bedroom apartment, considering if both locations are within a 30-minute drive from each other.

Apartment Size2 Person Crew3 Person Crew
1-Bedroom (Average amount of belongings)2 hours2 hours
1-Bedroom (More than average amount of belongings)3 hours2-3 hours
Estimated time when hiring a Moving Help crew

When booking Moving Help, you need to keep in mind a few extra factors when deciding how many hours you’ll need. We recommend adding an hour for every flight of stairs your Moving Helpers will have to climb.

If the distance between your unit and where you can park your moving truck is more than 20 feet, but under 50 feet, try adding an extra hour of time. If the walking distance is more than 50 feet, you might need to add two additional hours.

You can always add more hours on the day of your move, so it’s better to go with less time if you are unsure about how many hours you’ll need. Verify the availability of your Moving Help Service Provider for the day of your move to make sure they’ll be able to accommodate extra hours.

What Are Some Other Apartment Moving Tips? 

Moving Help has plenty of helpful apartment moving guides. Whether you need more: 

If you need some apartment how-to guides, check out our: