Let’s Talk Trash: Label Your Boxes or Bust

The more you know, the better you label. We will speak about the importance of labeling as well as tips and tricks of the trade.

How to Label Boxes for Easy Unpacking

iMoving is here with another “real talk guide”. This time we speak about the importance of labeling and how it will end up saving you time and money down the road.

In short- label every side of every box and don’t stress. 


Why and How Should I Label

By taking the time out to properly label your moving boxes with details, you'll set yourself up for a more organized and efficient move. It's a small amount of time and effort to put in that pays off significantly when you get to your destination.

Tips of the Trade From a Pro and a Half

1. Permanent Marker Use

  • Choose a dark-colored (usually black or blue) permanent marker like a Sharpie that will be easy to read on the box.
  • Write with a thick font so that it is very clear what it says.
  • You can let your kids get creative and color on the boxes as long as the writing is still clear. They can even draw pictures of what is inside.

2. Label on all the Sides and On the Top

  • Write the label on both the top and at least one side of each box. This ensures the label from all angles even if a lot of your boxes are stacked.

3. Include Detailed Information

Write down the following information on each box:

  • Room: Write which room the box came from in your old house and which room it should be placed in at your new home (ex: Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room).
  • Priority: For boxes that have critical items you'll need right away in your new place, mark them with "Open First" or "ASAP Unpack".
  • Contents: List the main contents of the box (Books, Kitchen Tools, Towels). If it is a box of all bathroom items try to write anything critical that you have placed inside and are likely to forget such as medicines and first aid kits.
  • Special Instructions: If there are fragile items inside or if the box needs to be handled in a certain way, mark it with "Fragile" or "Handle with Care".
  • Perishables: If any boxes have food items that need cold temperatures and to be unpacked right away, ensure this is clearly written.

4. Color Coding

  • If you are a DIY organization freak like I am, try the color coding method. It will make the unpacking process much easier if you use colored stickers or markers to clearly differentiate different rooms' boxes. For example, use red for the kitchen, yellow for the living room, and so on. This way you don’t have to read what is written on the box when taking them off the truck and your moving team will love you.

5. Keep a Master Inventory List

  • This key step should not be overlooked. Creating a master inventory list of all your items on a spreadsheet that tells you all your items and their quality and condition will save you when it comes to insurance claims.. This will help you keep track of everything during the move and ensure nothing gets misplaced.

Why Take the Time To Label?

1. Efficient Unpacking

  • Unpacking is a hard enough task as it is, make your life a little easier. When each box is clearly labeled with its room, movers can quickly place boxes in the correct rooms, making the unpacking process smoother and a lot more efficient.
  • You won’t spend hours opening the wrong boxes if they are labeled with details of what is inside. Save your energy for what matters most.

2. Organization

  • Labels help you prioritize the world of unpacking. By marking boxes with ASAP unpacking items, you can easily identify which boxes to unpack first. This saves you time and energy.

3. Protect Fragile Items

  • Labeling boxes containing fragile and breakable items helps to ensure that your movers handle them with care.
    It also helps you understand which boxes not to stack.

4. Reduce Stress

  • First things first. Take a deep breath. Moving is a huge task and is overwhelming, but well-labeled boxes will reduce stress by giving you a clear plan for unpacking and settling into your new home.
  • Think of this as the past you worrying about the future you.

5. Prevent Things Getting Lost

  • With clear labels, you minimize the chances of boxes being misplaced or ending up totally lost in the wrong rooms. This means you won’t have to worry about searching the whole house for lost items.

Other Packing Ideas

Just so you know, you don’t have to use cartons and boxes, you can also use a few other things to help pack up your entire house. 

  • Use old suitcases and travel bags to pack up all your linens and pillows.
  • Use reusable plastic bins to avoid cardboard waste. These can later be stacked in your garage and keep things fresh for years. 
  • Pack up your car with all the small things you need and want to ensure you know where they are asap.
  • Ask your local stores and cafes for their extra leftover cartons to save big on moving costs. Your mover can also provide you with some cartons if you ask nicely.

Wrapping Up That Last Box

We hope that this iMoving article has given you at least a few good reasons to convince you to take the extra few minutes to properly label all of your boxes.

Taking the time to write what is in each box in detail will make your mover’s life simpler as they will know in which room to place each box, as well as your life simpler when you go to unpack. Don’t be lacy, label everything today! 


Frequently Asked Questions

For the truly special pieces with sentimental value, I would recommend actually packing up in many layers of bubble wrap and towels and actually putting in your personal car if the option exists.

You can of course wrap these items and put them in a plastic bin with many layers of pillows, towels, and more soft items and write “fragile” on top, but that is still chancing it.

The changes in all aspects of life are the usual answer. It’s not just that you are being uprooted from your bedroom, familiar neighborhood, and local spots, it's the fact that this happens while your entire life is in boxes, so you cannot find solitude in your new place until you properly unpack. 

The first couple of weeks can feel overwhelming, but the more you put yourself to the task of unpacking and making the new home feel cozy, the faster you will feel at home!

Every time you finish packing up another box or room, take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments. Acknowledging the small milestones helps you reach the bigger ones.

This will keep you motivated and boost family morale. Finishing up packing a room and cleaning it out is a bigger task than usual. Reward yourself. 

The average time is between 7 hours to 3 days. This varies and depends on multiple factors such as size, clutter, clothing preferences, and other items. 

It’s more of a question for yourself if you plan to declutter and go to Marie Condo or if you plan to throw everything in a box and call it a day.

Plan according to this. Don’t forget to label as you go as this guide proves!

Moving really does tend to require lots of tape, cartons, and bubble wrap, but this doesn’t have to be an environmental nightmare. Where you can, replace bubble wrap with towels and sheets.

Replace tape with ties (but not too much), and see how you can repurpose all these items later on.

If you wrap things in your mom’s towels, that's one less towel you will have to buy for your new place!


Rachel Kaplan

Rachel has spent the last few years writing for moving companies while actually moving across the globe. After many years of moving between many states in the US, she moved abroad to try the remote work life. She’s a pro at moving all her things with her dog and hundreds of plants. Thankfully she’s a minimalist so moves aren’t too much of an issue.

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