Tips on Labeling Your Moving Boxes

Moving boxes are one of the most essential supplies you can have when it comes time to relocate to a new home. It seems easy enough to get them, but anybody who has been through a move knows that getting enough boxes in good condition can often be a challenge. And once you have them, finding ways to label them clearly often becomes a problem. Whether you are moving to the Calgary area or elsewhere, here are some labeling tips to keep in mind.

Use High-Quality Materials

Your moving supplies should include not only boxes and bubble wrap, but also markers, labels, and colored tape. Moreover, you should make sure to use the highest quality possible when selecting these supplies. The last thing you need is a set of markers that dry out quickly or labels that don't stick to cardboard well. You should view your labeling supplies as essential to the move and be ready to invest a few extra dollars in them if needed. When it comes to markers, always use permanent, waterproof markers. For tape and labels, make sure that they are capable of sticking for a long period of time. The better your labeling materials are, the easier your move will be.

Use Codes that Allow for Quick Identification

A box is just a box, and most people don't have the time during a move to open it up and see what's inside. If you differentiate your boxes based on where they need to go, you can speed up your move immensely. In this regard, even detailed labels about the box's content take too much time to read. Instead, you should prepare your moving boxes so that somebody looking at them knows where they go based on a one-second glance alone. Colored tape and bright labels work well for this. If you can get differently colored boxes, that would be even better. You can still provide detailed labels, but make sure to use a bright, easy to understand header on the labels for quick identification.

Label Every Side of the Box

A solid labeling system won't do you much good if the movers can't see the labels. Boxes get shifted and jostled all the time, especially as they get loaded and unloaded onto the moving truck. To make sure that a literal bump in the road doesn't accidentally throw your whole system off, make sure that you label each side of a box. Not all sides need to be identical, but make sure your color code or other simple identification method gets placed on each side of every box. That way, no matter how somebody is looking at a box, they know exactly where it needs to go and whether the contents are fragile.

Spending a little bit of extra time on labeling while you are packing can save you a lot of frustration later on. If you use the labeling tips provided here and make sure you are both consistent and thorough, you will greatly improve your chances of a stress-free move.