Packing and moving can be a tedious process, but taking simple steps to mitigate the mess can help save time and stress, making the transition easier for everyone involved. At Allied, our removalists are skilled in every aspect of moving. They know the ins and outs of the process and have acquired a plethora of handy tips and tricks to share with you. If you choose to forego hiring a professional packing service and opt to take on the task yourself, we have put together this helpful guide to labelling your moving boxes efficiently.
Decide on a system
Before you start packing, it’s important to decide what system you’re going to implement. This way, you can gather any materials you’ll need, and have everything ready to go from day one. If there will be others helping you pack, whether that’s friends lending a hand, a partner moving with you, or kids taking charge of their own rooms, it’s important for consistency that everyone is across the process. If little ones are involved, be sure to make things easier for them to follow, which will, in turn, make it easier for you, too!
Labels
It goes without saying that an important part of labelling moving boxes is having the right labels. Low-quality labels may seem like a good option, as they’re generally cheaper, and are realistically going to be thrown out after one use, but there’s a lot to be said for higher-quality alternatives. Your moving boxes will be put through a lot, both in your home and on the road, and you need labels that can withstand the strain. Good labels will hold up against rain, and won’t rip or fall off easily. Really, there’s no point putting labels on at the beginning if they won’t make it to the end.
All angles
When you’ve found the best labels for your move, don’t be afraid to show them off! And by that, we mean labelling your boxes on multiple sides. When it comes to loading your moving van, it’s pretty likely that boxes will be stacked in whatever way fits best, and this doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll all be facing the same way out. Adhering marked labels on at least two sides of each box will make the identification process easier upon arrival at your new home.
Quality markers
Equally as important as using good labels, high-quality markers will also make a big difference when labelling. A good marker will have strongly-coloured ink that stands out against the moving boxes, which are most often brown in colour. Since the boxes will be a shade of brown, opt for markers in more vibrant tones to help them pop even more.
Colour coding
When selecting your marker colours, also consider a colour coding system to apply to your moving box labels. Opt for one colour per room, so that the labels on any box containing, for example, kitchen items, are written in red. The same goes for every room in your house. This means that when you get to your new place, a quick glance at the box will tell the unloader which room to leave it in for unpacking.
Coloured Tape
If markers aren't enough, coloured tape is great for making your boxes stand out. Washi tape is made from a similar material to masking tape, but comes in an array of colours and patterns, and is available in most craft stores, and online. It won’t take long to wrap a string or two of tape around each box for an added element of visibility and ease of identification.
Master list
While we’re on the topic of colour coding by room, you may want to consider creating an inventory checklist for each room to give further detail on the contents of each box. In this case, you would number the box, and note down each item added to it on your checklist. Using this system, you’ll know exactly what’s in box #1, #2, #3, and so on. This will help you find individual items easily at the other end. This step does add time when packing your moving boxes, but can be helpful, especially if you have a lot of belongings to be transported. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by a large load, start simple. The first step is to get your essential packing supplies ready, and from there, you can ease into the process.
Priority items
Some things are more important than others, and you’ll probably want them pretty soon when you arrive at your destination. To make it easier to locate them amongst everything else, it is useful to have a priority box. This could be just one box with the necessities like charging cables, TV remotes, or the kettle, or could be one box per room. Make sure this is clearly labelled so you know exactly which box to grab, and load it up last so that it will be one of the first out at your new place. This is a simple way to make things smoother for you on arrival at your new home, and we have plenty more tips on making packing your home easier.
Fragile items
There’s no point packing things up carefully only for them to arrive broken or damaged. Fragile items should always be packed appropriately using the proper packing materials, and their box should be clearly labelled as “fragile”.