How to Estimate the Weight of My Boxes and Luggage for Removal Inventory?

Preparing for a move can be overwhelming, and one of the most common hurdles our customers face is trying to calculate the weight of their belongings. When you’re filling out your removal inventory, knowing the weight of your goods is essential, but what if you don’t have a weighing scale handy?

Don’t worry! In this video, Michael from the VanOne team shared a brilliant, stress-free method to estimate the size and weight of your removal without needing any special equipment.
Here is our simple, step-by-step guide to estimating the weight of your boxes and luggage using the “Clustering Method.”

The 3-Group Clustering Method

If you don’t have a scale, the easiest way to estimate the weight of your items is to cluster your boxes and luggage into three simple categories:

The Light Group: Any box or suitcase weighing up to 10 kilograms each.
The Medium Group: Any box or suitcase weighing up to 20 kilograms each.
The Heavy Group: Any box or suitcase weighing above 20 kilograms.

Step-by-Step Guide to Estimating Your Items

Step 1: Create Your Reference Boxes

To start, you will need to establish three “reference” items. Try to find or pack one box that feels light (under 10kg), one that feels medium (up to 20kg), and one that is heavy (over 20kg). You can use these three items as your standard measure for the rest of your packing.

Step 2: The “Lift and Sense” Technique

Once you have your three reference boxes set aside, it’s time to categorise the rest of your belongings. Simply go through your unpacked boxes and luggage, hand-lift them, and sense where they belong. Compare them to your reference boxes: Does this feel like the light box, the medium box, or the heavy box?

Step 3: Count and Match

As you lift and sense each item, group them accordingly. Match all your other boxes and luggage with your reference items. Once you’ve gone through everything, count up how many items you have in the 10kg group, the 20kg group, and the 20kg+ group.

Logging Your Items in the VanOne Insurance Form

Now that you have successfully categorised and counted your boxes and suitcases, the hard part is over! The final step is to list them on your removal inventory.

To make this process as seamless as possible, we have created the VanOne Insurance Form. This is a highly useful spreadsheet template designed to act as your official inventory.

Once you download the spreadsheet, simply input the quantities of your light, medium, and heavy boxes. Because it is a smart template, the document will automatically aggregate all the goods you are planning to move, giving you a comprehensive overview of your removal size.

Estimating the weight of your goods doesn’t have to be a guessing game. By using this simple hand-lifting method, you can accurately fill out your inventory and ensure a smooth, hassle-free move across Europe with VanOne. If you’re interested, you can use our AI-powered Moving Size Calculator to make your job easier. Happy packing!