Every one of our totes has a pocket on the end that holds a 5" X 7" card. It’s a small thing that saves a lot of time on the other end of your move.
Write the room first
Put the room in big letters at the top of the card: KITCHEN, MAIN BEDROOM, BATHROOM, OFFICE. That’s the part the people carrying totes need to see.
Add a line about what’s inside
Under the room, jot down the highlights: “pots and pans,” “winter coats,” “desk drawers.” You don’t need a full list. Just enough to find something without opening five totes.
Mark what you’ll need first
Put a star or “OPEN FIRST” on the totes with things you’ll want right away: coffee maker, bedding, phone chargers, toilet paper, a shower curtain.
Number them if you like lists
If you want to be thorough, number each card (Kitchen 1, Kitchen 2) and keep a quick list on your phone. It also makes it easy to tell if every tote made it off the truck.
Face the labels out
When you stack totes, turn them so the label end faces the same way. You can read the whole stack at a glance.
Label the rooms at the new place
Tape a sheet of paper with the room name on each doorway in your new home. Anyone helping can match the card to the door without asking you where things go.
When you’re done
Pull the cards out before pickup. The totes get cleaned and go out to the next move.