Moving inventory checklist: know what's in every box

The first week after a move is spent opening boxes looking for one thing: the kettle, the chargers, the kids' winter boots. A simple box inventory fixes that — and it also helps if a box goes missing or arrives broken.

Before you pack

• Decide what not to move. Declutter first; every box you don't pack is one you don't have to unpack.
• Get one label system. A number and a room on every box: "12 — Kitchen". Write it on two sides, not on top — tops get stacked.
• Keep the list somewhere you can search it, not on paper that ends up in box 37.

While you pack

For each box, record:

• the box number and the room it goes to;
• what's inside — not every fork, but enough to find things: "kettle, toaster, mugs";
• anything fragile or valuable, so you know to check it on arrival.

Take one photo of the open box before you tape it. It's the fastest inventory there is.

The essentials box

Pack one box last and open it first: chargers, toiletries, medicine, documents, a few tools, bedding for the first night, the kettle. Label it clearly and keep it with you, not in the truck.

On moving day

• Count the boxes as they go out and as they come in.
• Note any damaged box before the movers leave.
• Put each box in its room, so unpacking can go in any order.

After the move

Don't throw the list away. When you unpack, the box becomes a place — "Bedroom › Wardrobe › Top shelf" — and your moving list quietly becomes your home inventory.

Checklist

1. Declutter before packing.
2. Number every box and write the room on two sides.
3. Record what's inside each box and take one photo.
4. Pack an essentials box and keep it with you.
5. Count boxes out and in; note any damage.
6. Turn the moving list into your home inventory after unpacking.