How to label moving boxes and totes

Good labels are the difference between unpacking in a weekend and hunting for the coffee maker for a week. You don't need a complicated system — just three pieces of information on every container and a little setup at the new home.

The three-part label

  • Room: where it goes in the new home, not where it came from. 'Primary bedroom', 'Kitchen', 'Office'.
  • Priority: 1 = open the first day, 2 = open the first week, 3 = whenever.
  • Contents: a short note — 'towels + sheets', 'kids' books', 'glasses — fragile'.

Use colors for rooms

Assign each room a color with colored tape, stickers or markers, and put the same color on the door of that room at the new home. Helpers don't need to read anything — they match the color. It's especially useful with friends helping who don't know the new layout.

Label two sides

Put the label on at least two sides, including one end, so you can read it when containers are stacked. For totes, labeling the end and the lid works well.

Number and list

Number every container and keep a simple list on your phone: number, room, contents. If something goes missing you'll know right away, and you can search the list instead of opening containers.

Mark fragile and heavy

Write 'FRAGILE' on breakables and 'HEAVY' on anything that needs two people or a dolly. Load fragile on top and heavy on the bottom.

Set up the new home

  • Tape a sign on each room door with the room name and color.
  • Designate a spot for priority-1 containers in each room.
  • Keep the first-night tote with you, not in the truck stack.

Labeling reusable totes

Avoid writing directly on rented totes with permanent marker. Use removable labels or painter's tape instead, so the next renter gets a clean tote and your labels come off easily before pickup.

STORVA offers a Tote Labels — 24 Pack add-on ($15) on the packing supplies page, sized for our totes. Painter's tape and a marker work too.

Labeling for helpers and movers

If friends or a moving crew are carrying, walk them through the system once before the first load: the color for each room, what the priority numbers mean, and which containers are fragile. Post the room list at the front door of the new home so nobody has to ask.

A labeling example

Here's what a label might look like for a tote of bathroom essentials: 'PRIMARY BATH · 1 · towels, shower curtain, toiletries'. A tote of books for the office: 'OFFICE · 3 · paperbacks — HEAVY'. A tote of glasses: 'KITCHEN · 2 · glasses — FRAGILE, this side up'.

Keep the wording short enough to read from across the room, and use the same room names on every label and every door sign. Consistency matters more than detail: a helper carrying a heavy tote only needs to know where to set it down.

How STORVA tote rental works

STORVA rents reusable 27-gallon black totes with yellow snap-on lids across Dallas–Fort Worth. We drop the empty totes off at your door, you pack, move and unpack your own belongings, and we pick the empty totes back up on the date you chose. We don't move, pack or haul anything for you — we supply the equipment.

Packages start at $79. The 1 Bedroom package and larger include black 4-wheel dollies; extra dollies are $9 each. Next-day drop-off is available across DFW; for weekends and the end of the month, book 2–3 days ahead.

  • Dorm / Studio: 10 totes, 1 week included, $79.
  • 1 Bedroom: 20 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $109.
  • 2–3 Bedrooms: 40 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $189.
  • 4+ Bedrooms: 60 totes + 2 dollies, 2 weeks included, $239.

Rent totes · Use the tote calculator

Frequently asked questions

What should I write on a moving box label?

The destination room, a priority number (1 = first day, 2 = first week, 3 = later) and a short contents note.

Can I write on rented totes?

Use removable labels or painter's tape rather than permanent marker so labels come off cleanly before pickup.

Does STORVA sell labels?

Yes — the Tote Labels — 24 Pack add-on is $15 on the packing supplies page.

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