5 Ways to Protect Your Belongings During a Move
When you are moving to a new home, it is vital to protect your belongings. Whether it’s your computer or your passport, everything you own has to get from your old home to your new home. You must be strategic in planning, to secure your belongings as they are moved to your new home. Here are five ways you can safely and securely get your belongings to your new home.
1. Document all of your belongings
Take inventory of everything that you own so that you have a record of all of your items. If items get lost or broken, you have proof that you owned the thing and what shape it was in before the move. During one of our moves, I lost an entire bin of sweaters. I was able to show proof to the moving company that I did indeed have 15 sweaters before the move. They then provided a stipend for me to replace my sweaters.
When documenting your belongings, you can write/type everything down or videotape it all. If writing it down, have one piece of paper for each room. Put the room name at the top of the page and then write or type everything out in each room. Start in one corner and move clockwise around the room to ensure you don’t miss anything.
I recommend videotaping because it is more efficient, and there is actual photographic proof of ownership and belongings shape. If videotaping, tape each room as a different video clip so it is easy to refer back to each space. The last thing you want is to watch 25 minutes of video to get to one area. So, break up each room into a clip.
Start each video with a piece of paper with the room name. This makes it easy to scroll through videos and know right away what room you are looking at. Then start in one corner of the room and videotape everything. Layout small items on a blanket ahead of time, open drawers and cabinets to show what is inside and remember to turn on electronics to show that they work.
2. Carry irreplaceable items with you at all times
When it comes to moving day, there are certain items that you don’t want anyone else to handle but yourself. These items are often valuable, have your personal information, or are difficult to replace if lost. Keep these items in a separate bag or box from all other items getting packed up. If you’re driving to your new home, use a container to store these items. If you’re flying to your new home, I recommend putting these items in a carry-on suitcase so you can keep them with you on the flight. These items include:
- Address book
- Back up hard drives
- Birth certificates
- Cell phones
- Checkbooks
- Computers & chargers
- Financial records
- Insurance information
- Irreplaceable documents
- Jewelry
- Keepsakes
- Keys
- Marriage license
- Medical records
- Medications
- Mortgage documents
- Moving planner
- Other electronics
- Passports
- Password books
- Photo albums
- Prescriptions
- School records
- Social security cards
- Tablets
- Vehicle titles
- Vet records
- Wallets
- Wills
3. Get rid of old documents that have personally-identifying information
Now is the time to get rid of any paper that you’ve been hanging on to unnecessarily. If there is any personally identifiable information, shred it before tossing it. This includes medical documents, tax documents, financial statements, and anything else that has your name, address, SSN, account numbers, or other information that people could use to identify you. If you want to keep a copy of certain documents, you can scan them into your computer and then get rid of the physical copy. This can really cut down on the amount of paper you move to your new home.
4. Hire reputable movers who have insurance
Make sure that the company you hire to help with your move is licensed. This proves that a company is legit and gives you the upper hand if you need to make a dispute later on. If you are moving from one state to another, also called an interstate move, make sure the moving company is registered with the Department of Transportation. If you’re in California, check out Big Deahl’s Movers, who have developed a strong reputation as Rancho Cucamonga’s long-distance movers of choice.
Remember to ask if the moving company has liability coverage for belongings that may get lost or damaged. Interviewing moving companies is crucial to finding the best fit for your move. If you need help with knowing what to ask, the Move Mama Move Relocation Planners have a dedicated section with over 45 questions to ask moving companies questions while interviewing them.
5. Choose a specialized moving company to handle your valuable items too big for you to move
Even if you choose to move yourself, there are some items you should hire a pro to pack up and transport. Large pieces of artwork, antique furniture, pianos are examples of things that often require a specialist to move appropriately. Companies specializing in moving these items can adequately protect and transport these large, unique items you want to safely move to your new home.
Bottom Line
While moving can always be a little bit stressful and chaotic, one thing you can control to give you peace of mind is the safety and security of your most important belongings. So plan ahead, stay aware, to keep your belonging safe.
