Label every box on more than one side, not just the top, because once boxes are stacked you’ll never see the top. Write the room it came from, a few words on what’s inside and how soon you’ll need it, give every box a number, and keep a matching list on your phone so you can find anything without unstacking.
What to write on each box
- Where it’s going, if your move is split: “new house” or “Wigwam unit”.
- The room it came from, such as “Kitchen”.
- What’s inside, in a few words. “Lounge” alone won’t help when you’re hunting for the reading lamp; “Lounge: lamps, cushions” will.
- How soon you’ll need it. “Kitchen, daily” or “Loft, no rush” tells you at a glance what to grab and what to leave.
- Where it sits in the unit, for storage boxes: “FRONT / Kitchen”.
- How to handle it. Mark fragile boxes “FRAGILE / THIS WAY UP” on at least two sides.
- A number, such as “Box 14”, to tie it to your list.
A thick black marker and a few words are all you need.
Where the label goes
Turn the side label to face the aisle, so you can read every box from the middle of the unit. If boxes may get moved around, label the top and more than one side. The box you’ll need first deserves a distinctive colour of tape and “DO NOT BURY” on every face you can see.
Pop your labels and any plan on the boxes themselves rather than the unit walls, as nothing can be fixed to the unit. A list on your phone, or at home, works better anyway, because you can check it before you make the trip.
Keep a list
Write down each box number, its room, what’s inside and roughly where it sits. A quick photo of the unit layout on the first day helps too. A list or photos of what you’ve stored will also make an insurance claim much easier if you ever need one. Share the list with anyone who’ll be collecting, and if they’ll go without you, give them their own access: see can I share access to my storage unit?
A few special cases
If you’re packing up a relative’s home for several people, write the person’s name where the room would go (“FRONT / Sarah”), and keep one person’s things per box.
For valuable equipment or stock, say less on the outside. “Camera kit” tells a passer-by what’s inside; a case number or product code, with the meaning kept on your list, does the same job more discreetly.
When you reuse a box, cross out every old label, so last year’s “Kitchen” doesn’t send you looking in the wrong place. Adding boxes later? Carry on the numbering and add them to your list before they go in.
Our Box Shop sells a black marker pen, and each of our moving kits includes one. If you still need a unit, get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585.
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