Believe it or not, the average number of moving boxes required to pack up the contents of one home is 60. That\u2019s right \u2013 60.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, the actual number of cardboard containers that YOU will need for your packing needs will depend on important factors such as how many rooms there are in the place you\u2019re about to leave, how many people live there, the square footage of the house or apartment, what type of lifestyle you enjoy, and how many years you have lived there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And here\u2019s something that you may not even think about until it\u2019s too late: all those brown cardboard boxes look identical<\/strong>. Yes, some of them will be larger than others but on the outside, they will be almost unrecognizable from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while you may not think this is an issue while you\u2019re packing up your things for a move, it will become a serious problem when you arrive in the new home and start unpacking those indistinguishable cardboard containers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you keep track of your boxes when moving? How do you know what\u2019s packed inside each container so that the unpacking task goes smoothly, without feeling frustrated and even lost at the sight of those piles of unmarked, identical brownish cardboard containers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read on to learn the best way to keep track of boxes when moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you need to understand from the very start is that it will be much easier to track your boxes when you choose to move fewer things to the new home. It\u2019s simple – fewer items to pack, fewer boxes to transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An upcoming move is the ideal time to sort through your possessions and discard the ones that you no longer need \u2013 clothes, shoes, books, toys, and so on. Think about this – why would you invest time and money into transporting items that you just won\u2019t ever use again?<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a rule of thumb, you shouldn\u2019t bother moving things that you haven\u2019t used in the last 12 months but your home decluttering task should be way more thorough than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, it\u2019ll be much easier to keep track of the things you do need and you won\u2019t have to spend unnecessary money moving any useless items. As a bonus, your unpacking job will be quicker thanks to the decreased number of moving boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good to know<\/strong>: How to get rid of things when moving<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to create a detailed inventory of the things you\u2019ve decided to take with you. This way, you will keep track of all the items that you\u2019re moving to the new place, which in turn will enable you to keep track of the boxes when you fill them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a moving inventory is pretty straightforward. Feel free to use a spreadsheet program such as Google Sheets or MS Excel for this purpose. Also, you can go old-school and use a pen (pencil) and a piece of paper instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you include the following columns in your home inventory sheet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The detailed inventory sheet will serve as a comprehensive packing list \u2013 thanks to it, you won\u2019t forget to pack some of the things you want to take with you. Also, the inventory list will help you organize the packing task in a much more practical and systematic way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before closing up each box, you can choose to take a photo of its contents \u2013 that is, what\u2019s inside it. Then take a picture of the label (see below) of the container and you\u2019ll have a good photo inventory that can prove to be extremely useful when you need to keep track of your boxes when moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See also<\/strong>: How to make a moving inventory<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a doubt, the best way to keep track of boxes during a move is to label those containers appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, labeling your boxes will serve as a guide of what\u2019s inside each packing box so that even when all freshly-delivered cardboard containers look the same from the outside, you will know the contents of each one by just reading what\u2019s written on their side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Labeling boxes when moving cannot be stressed enough \u2013 it\u2019s a very critical step during the packing process that some people choose to skip altogether, either because they think they have infallible memory or they simply underestimate its importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do yourself a favor – write the contents and destination room on each cardboard box you have just packed up. Do this on at least two sides of the container using only a black marker or a set of color markers (see below) for even easier identification once you find yourself in the new place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An upgraded version of labeling your boxes with their unique contents and respective destination rooms is to use color markers for faster identification when you\u2019re about to start the unpacking task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One good way to keep track of your boxes when moving is to assign a color for each room and then use markers of the corresponding color to label the containers that need to be taken to that respective room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For instance, if you choose GREEN<\/strong><\/span> to be the color for your KITCHEN<\/strong><\/span>, then all boxes that contain various kitchen items should be labeled with a green marker. This will certainly speed things up a little and prevent any errors when the boxes are being taken inside the new residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to that, you can opt for colored labels to make your moving boxes even more recognizable and noticeable. Keep in mind that while colored moving labels are not a necessity, they will surely add a bit of personal touch to the whole relocation project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another excellent way to keep track of boxes when moving is to use a number-coded system for labeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The idea is simple yet effective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read also<\/strong>: What is the best way to label moving boxes?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n One modern way to keep track of boxes when moving is to use a moving app. Mobile applications are designed to help you cope with the various stages of a house move, and the best moving apps out there offer good home inventory tools that you can use to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDon’t move any items you don’t really need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make a detailed inventory of your possessions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Write the contents and destination room on each box<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use different colors for different rooms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mark each box with a unique number<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use a mobile app<\/h2>\n\n\n\n