Color Coding – Why it Helps Both You and the Mover!

People laugh when I pull out my super adhesive color coded sticky notes and matching tape.  “What is this?” they say, “Kindergarten? Do we really need to do all of that?  Can’t we just keep track of things?” And my answer is NO, you can’t just keep track of things and keep it in your brain.  There are a million and one details associated with a move and for most of us, trying to remember where every box or piece of furniture goes is impossible.  The use of color coding helps to direct the flow of your things and that will help both you and the mover.  And for the record, do not use those mambi–pambi small dots that cannot be seen by anyone and take the finish off of things. We use the full adhesive labels.

When to use Color Coding:

Large Downsizing Moves with Multiple Destinations:

Do you have things going to multiple destinations like “Donation,” “Family Members,” “Storage Unit,” “Consignment” and your “New Residence?”  Use a different color for each destination so the items are easily spotted when the various services come to pick up.  If you have multiple family members you can still use the same color tag, just write the person’s name on it.

Moves That Are Going to a Multilevel Residence:

If everything you have is moving you may not see the need to color code. But if you are moving into a multilevel residence or have a garage, you may want to direct furniture and boxes to the particular floor or area.  Use one color label for each level of your home and one for the garage.  This will expedite your move and helps to keep things progressing more efficiently.  When the crew knows that “yellow” means it goes upstairs and “blue” means main floor and “green” is the garage, they  will place boxes where they need to go and it minimizes the number of boxes you have to carry up and down the stairs when the move is over.  Write the room assignment like “Master Bedroom, Guest Room, Laundry Room, Kitchen” etc. on the colored labels and boxes to direct things even further into the correct rooms.

Small Moves going into a single level apartment or condo:

For small moves, using a color for each room works well to direct furniture and cartons to the correct area.  Small spaces absorb furniture and especially cartons very quickly and you can soon be overwhelmed with boxes in your living area if you don’t take the time to label for the correct room.  Distributing by color keeps things manageable and reduces the need to move things around after the mover is gone. 

Using color to organize your move is so simple – yet so relevant to a streamlined, efficient move.