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Labelling your moving boxes when you move house is probably one of the most important parts of the packing process. But it's surprising how many people don't do it properly - or worse still, forget to do it at all.
If you're starting to think about packing then here's our giude to labelling your boxes correctly...
why is labelling moving boxes important?
Good labelling helps you and your removal company (if you're using one) stay organised during the move. For example labels can help to:
- Locate single items quickly when you unpack
- Identify which boxes go into which room (or even to different locations)
- Highlight fragile boxes
- Note which boxes should be loaded/unloaded first or last
Think about how you will unpack in your new home and what your plan of action is - how can you help yourself make this process easier through better information on your labels?
how to label moving boxes
What should I write on the labels?
We would suggest labelling your boxes with:
- Destination Room - so you can unload boxes into the right rooms to avoid moving around too much again.
- Contents - a short description. Especially if it is a mixed box with several different types of items in. (e.g. a small appliance, cutlery and place mats rather than all “china” which can be listed as one type of contents).
- Special Instructions: indicate fragile boxes (we like to draw a picture of a glass), which way up the box should be stored if it’s important and if a box is particularly heavy (might require 2 people to lift or extra care to avoid injury/accident).
- Name (optional) If you're not moving directly to your new home it's always a good idea to put your name on the label in case your box goes missing.
Writing an inventory list
If you like to be particularly organised you can create an inventory of the items you've packed. Whilst this is not completely necessary for a move, many people find lists help them feel less stressed and more in control.
Number your boxes and make a list of the specific contents, this is especially useful if you have several boxes of the same sort of things i.e. clothes or books. This will help you to locate the item you need quickly. If you are already doing this for insurance purposes then remember to create a copy with the numbers on too.
Looking for a professional packing service?
If the stress of packing and labelling sounds like it might be a too much for you then choose a removal company that offers professional packing services. A trained crew will come in ahead of your move and pack everything for you, labelling it up correctly so that everything can go to the right place when it arrives at your new home.
