How to Label Moving Boxes So You Can Find Things After the Move
Published · 7 min read
Knowing how to label moving boxes is the difference between making tea on the first evening and opening thirty boxes looking for the kettle. Most moves go wrong in the same way: every box says "Kitchen", half of them say "Misc", and the one with the bed screws says nothing at all.
This guide covers the one rule that fixes that, what to write on each box and where, QR code moving labels, and a free moving inventory list you can download or keep on your phone.
The rule: a number and a room on every box
Give every box a number, and write the room it goes to in the new place. "#14 Kitchen" beats "Kitchen stuff" for three reasons:
- A number is unique. There are twelve kitchen boxes and only one #14.
- A number is short. You can read it from across the room, on a box at the bottom of a stack.
- A number points to a list. What's in #14 lives on your moving inventory list, so the box doesn't have to say it all.
The room tells the movers where to put it. The number tells you what's in it. Write both before the box is taped, not after.
Moving box labels: what to write and where
A good moving box label has four things, in this order:
- The number, big. Start at 1 and never reuse one.
- The room in the new place, not the old one. "Kids' room" is where it's going, not where it came from.
- A few words about what's inside, like "pots and pans" or "books A to K". The full list goes on your inventory list.
- "Fragile" or "This way up" where it matters, and nothing else in red.
Write the label on two sides and the top. Boxes get stacked and turned, and a label you can't see is the same as no label. A thick marker on the box itself is fine; sticker labels are faster if you print them all before you start.
Colour by room
A strip of coloured tape on each box, one colour per room, lets movers sort boxes without reading. Put a matching strip on the door of each room in the new place. In Hoardo you can go one step further: switch on “Letters in numbers” (Settings › Box properties) and number the kitchen boxes K1, K2, K3, so the number says the room too.
QR code moving labels
A written label tells you which box it is. A QR label tells you what's in it. Hoardo prints a label for each box with its number and a QR code. Point your phone's camera at it, and the box opens in Hoardo with everything that's in it, so you can check box #23 without cutting the tape.
Print them all at once: tick the boxes, print on plain paper, A4 or US Letter sticker sheets, or a label printer, and stick one on each box as you pack. Our barcode and QR label guide covers printing in more detail.
Your moving inventory list
The label is the short version. The moving inventory list is the long one: one line per thing, with the box it's in.
| Room | Box # | Box | Item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | 1 | Open first | Kettle | 1 | |
| Kitchen | 2 | Plates and bowls | Dinner plates | 8 | Fragile |
| Living room | 5 | Books A to K | Books | 42 | Heavy |
| Office | 10 | Paperwork | Passports and documents | 1 | Keep with you |
Start it while you pack. A list written after the boxes are taped is a list of guesses. You don't need every fork: "cutlery" is enough. You do need the things you'll look for in the first week, the valuables and anything that would be expensive to lose.
Download the moving inventory template (CSV)Open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets. Its columns are the ones Hoardo exports, so it imports into Hoardo as it is.
The "open first" box
One box per household gets the things you need the first night: kettle, mugs, phone chargers, toilet paper, a box cutter, light bulbs, bedding and the medicines. Number it like the rest, call it "Open first", and put it in the car, not the truck.
A moving inventory app instead of paper
A paper list works until it's in a box. A moving inventory app keeps it on your phone, where you'll actually have it on moving day. Hoardo is free and does it like this:
- Make the rooms of the new place. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, office.
- Add a numbered box for each moving box. The number is what you write on the box.
- Add what goes in as you pack. Type it, say it out loud, or take one photo of the open box and let Hoardo list what it sees.
- Print the QR labels and stick them on.
- Put the first-night things on a packing list, and tick them off as they go in.
It works as a moving box inventory app for the whole household: invite your partner or roommates to the rooms, and everyone sees the same boxes from their own phone. Already started a spreadsheet? Import it, the template above included.
When the truck is unloaded and the boxes are where they ended up, tick them in Hoardo and move them to their new rooms in one go. The list keeps up with the boxes, not with where you hoped they'd go.
Unpacking: search before you open
The point of all this is the week after the move. Need the HDMI cable? Search for it. Hoardo shows every match with its room and box number, so you open one box, not six.
Some boxes don't need unpacking at all. The winter clothes and the spare bedding can stay boxed and labeled in the closet or the attic, and you'll still know what's in them next year. That's the moving box inventory turning into a home inventory, with no extra work. More on that side in moving made easy and on Hoardo's home organization app page.
Selling things before the move instead of packing them? See moving sale. And if a move manager or professional organizer is packing for you, they can set all of this up in Hoardo and hand the account over when they're done: see Hoardo for professional organizers.
Questions about labeling moving boxes
How do you label moving boxes?
Give every box a number and the room it goes to in the new place, and write both on two sides and the top in thick marker, so you can read it however the box is stacked. Keep a list of what's in each number. Add “fragile” or “this way up” where it matters.
What should a moving box label say?
Its number, the room it goes to, and a few words about what's inside, like “#14 Kitchen: pots and pans”. The full list of contents belongs on your moving inventory list, not on the box, where anyone carrying it can read it.
How do I make a moving inventory list?
One line per thing: the room, the box number, the box's name, the thing and how many. Start it while you pack, not after. Download the free moving inventory template, or keep the list in Hoardo, where it's on your phone and can be searched.
Is there a free moving inventory template?
Yes. This article has a free moving inventory template as a CSV, with columns for the room, box number, box, item, quantity and notes. Open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets, or import it into Hoardo as it is.
Can I use QR codes on moving boxes?
Yes. Hoardo prints a QR label for each box with its number on it. Scanning it with your phone's camera opens the box in Hoardo with everything that's in it, so you can check a box without opening it.
What goes on a moving inventory checklist?
Every box by number, the room it goes to, what's in it, what's fragile or valuable, and which boxes to open first. Tick the boxes off as they come off the truck, so you know nothing was left behind.
