How to Label Your Boxes

Why Labelling Matters More Than You Think

You’ve spent weeks carefully packing your home. Every glass is wrapped, every box is full, and everything is sealed up and ready to go. Then you arrive at the new house and find yourself staring at 70 identical brown boxes with no idea what’s in any of them.

Poor labelling is one of the most common reasons unpacking takes days longer than it should. It leads to boxes being dumped in the wrong rooms, essential items being impossible to find, and the kind of frustration that turns an exciting new start into an exhausting ordeal.

A good labelling system takes seconds per box and saves hours at the other end. Here’s how to do it properly.

What to Write on Every Box

Every box needs two pieces of information:

1. The destination room. This is the room you want the box carried to at the new house — not necessarily the room it was packed from. Your home layout may be completely different at the new property. The spare bedroom you used as a study might become a nursery. The dining room might become a home office.

Think about where you’ll want the contents at the new house, and label accordingly. This way, when the removal team (or your helpful friends) carry each box through the front door, they can take it straight to the right room without asking.

2. A brief description of the contents. You don’t need a full inventory — just enough to identify what’s inside. “Books from living room,” “kids’ clothes — drawers,” “kitchen — plates and bowls,” or “bathroom toiletries.” A few words is all it takes.

Some customers take this a step further by numbering every box and keeping a master list of contents. That works brilliantly if you have the time and inclination, but it’s not essential. A clear room label and a short description will cover most situations.

Where to Write the Label

This is a small detail that makes a big difference. Always write on the tape, not directly on the cardboard.

Once you’ve sealed a box, write the room name first, followed by the description, directly onto the tape on the top of the box. This means that whenever the box is picked up or looked at from above, the information is immediately visible in a consistent, easy-to-read position.

Writing on the tape also has a practical bonus: it keeps the boxes reusable. When the tape is removed after unpacking, the writing goes with it. The box can be re-taped and relabelled cleanly for someone else’s move, donated to a friend, or stored for future use — no confusion from old labels showing through, no crossing out, no mess.

If you write directly on the cardboard with a thick marker, those boxes are effectively single-use. Every future user has to work around your old labels, which creates confusion and makes the box look tatty.

Building a Colour-Coding System

For larger homes with many boxes, a colour-coding system can speed things up even further. Buy a few rolls of coloured tape or a set of coloured dot stickers, and assign a colour to each room:

• Red — Kitchen
• Blue — Master bedroom
• Green — Living room
• Yellow — Children’s rooms
• Orange — Bathroom
• Purple — Office / study

Stick the coloured dot or a strip of coloured tape on the top and one side of each box. On moving day, tape a matching colour swatch on the door frame of each room at the new house. Now anyone carrying boxes — removal team, family, friends — can match the colour at a glance without reading a single word.

This is especially useful when things get busy and multiple people are carrying boxes in at the same time. It’s faster, it reduces errors, and it means you don’t need to direct traffic at the front door all day.

Labelling Fragile and Priority Boxes

Beyond the standard room and contents label, some boxes need additional markings:

“FRAGILE” — Use fragile tape on any box containing breakable items. Apply it across the top and at least one side so it’s visible from any angle. For your most precious items, use a double pass of fragile tape (covered in Lesson 4).

“THIS WAY UP” — Essential for boxes containing bottles, liquids, or items that must remain upright. Write or mark this on the top and both long sides.

“OPEN FIRST” — Your essentials box (covered in Lesson 5) should be clearly marked on all sides so it’s the first thing off the van and the first box you open.

“TOP BOX” — For boxes containing delicate items like lampshades that can’t bear any weight on top of them. This tells the removal team to place it on top of a stack, never underneath.

“DO NOT PACK” — If you’re using a professional packing service, place this label on any items you want excluded — your essentials bag, items going in the car, or anything you’re transporting yourself.

Pro Tip from Jay

“Room first, contents second — always in that order. When you're carrying 80 boxes into a house, the room is what matters most. I don't need to know it's crockery until I'm in the kitchen — I just need to know it's going to the kitchen. And write it on the tape. It keeps things neat, and your boxes live to fight another move.”

— Jay Newton, Director