You may have heard of the moving checklist, but a moving inventory list is also a very important list to have during your upcoming move. No matter if you are hiring house packing services or not, an inventory list is one of the most important things to have by your side.
If you are moving for the first time, you may feel overwhelmed just by looking around your place and realizing how much you have to do before moving. You will have many responsibilities, starting from packing your belongings to organizing your home utilities.
Professional House Packing Services Include Free Inventory Lists
The only way to pack for a move quickly is to book house packing services before moving. The professional moving company you hire will have experience and knowledge on how to do it as fast as possible, but also they will secure your belongings with their professional packing technique, so nothing gets damaged during the transport. So, do not hesitate to hire house packing services if you are experiencing this problem.
There Are Things You Can Do To Prepare For Your Chosen House Packing Services
Even though you are working with professional movers, it can be difficult if you do not organize and participate yourself. It is best to prepare yourself for this process.
There are many reasons why it is necessary to make a detailed inventory list before moving. Some of them are simple, such as organizing packing. Others, however, are somewhat more difficult, such as unpacking and organizing transportation.
However you make this list, be sure to write down everything you need so that the moving company you hired can move you more easily and quickly.
What is a Moving Inventory List and Why is it Important?
A moving inventory list is a document that lists all of your belongings. By creating this list you are making sure that you know the exact whereabouts of your belongings at all times, and that is crucial during the move. When putting together your inventory of household items, the more detail, the better.
This list can actually be your plan for the move. It is not just a list of items that you own and that you will move to your new home. Simply by going room by room you will create a plan in which order you will pack and unpack.
In order to write an inventory list for moving or a moving plan, you first need to sit down and think. After that, you should list the things you are moving. Small items or the furniture you do not need can be put on a special Donation list.
This is followed by sorting. Separating things for moving. Then packing and protection. Loading. Unloading. Transport.
These are all the importants parts of your plan for the move.
The plan must be put on paper because it will be useful to the house packing services in many ways during the process.
House Packing Before Your Booked Moving Services
The preparation for packing itself depends on the inventory list that you will make. There are many reasons for that, but the most important is the organization of the move itself.
If you want to have a reminder of things you must not forget at all times, then this inventory list is one of the first you must make.
First of all, you have to include big things, such as appliances and furniture. Then add as many details as possible, until you complete the list. That way, you will have an insight into how many things you really have to pack and also how much the price of moving could be.
When moving, it is very important to take care of the safety of both you and your belongings, and this list helps with that.
One of the reasons why it is important to make a detailed list of items before moving is the organization of work because it will be easier for you when you know exactly what you have.
You need to have control over your belongings to avoid losses, theft and damage.
Although you may not think about it before moving, a list of items will also help you unpack because you will know exactly what you have.
Thanks to the house packing services that organize everything, you can rest assured that the move will go smoothly.
House Packing List
It seems to many that the easiest way to pack is to simply pack everything into as many boxes and bags as possible. On the contrary, you can only make a bigger mess and spend a lot of boxes and packing material for nothing. This way is completely wrong, because you risk your belongings to end up damaged in the transport, or lost.
That is why it is best to make a list of things and make a packing and moving plan, before you do anything else.
Of course, you can make a list of necessary packing material that you will need to purchase.
Moving packing material depends on what you are transporting and where you are transferring it to.
Understanding Packing Supplies
There are various materials and there are different variants of each element separately. If you have fragile items you will need bubble wrap for sure. If you are disassembling and reassembling furniture, you will need to get small bags for safekeeping small things, screws, etc.
Fragile Items
There are some things you should pay special attention to. Be careful with tangible and fragile objects. Furthermore, while dismantling the furniture, it is necessary to immediately pack the small parts that have been removed from them. It is often the case that small things are first lost somewhere in the process of moving.
Adhesive tape should be there forever, whenever you pack anything for moving. Cardboard boxes are unavoidable.
Today, everything has progressed, so you can even buy special boxes for, for example, dishes and clothes. They make transportation even easier and keep your things safe.
Take Pictures and Videos of Your Belongings Before & After the House Packing Services
This can be done quickly and easily using a video camera or your phone’s camera. This can help you to make a list even when you are not at home. If you are not having a busy day at work or maybe just have a lunch break, you can just play the video and start writing down items that you see in the video.
Having a room-by-room checklist to help you take stock of all the items you’re moving may help you ensure nothing gets misplaced throughout the process.
This will also help the moving company should some of your items go missing, because they will have the pictures of the item and they will know exactly what they are looking for.
Acquire Insurance for Your Items Before The Move
All of your items need to have insurance. The detailed record of everything you’re moving will help you protect your possessions.
A moving inventory list will help you better determine the value of your belongings. In your moving inventory list all your valuables should be included. Be very detailed when it comes to your most valuable items, such as jewelry or art work.
You should provide this list to your insurance company so they can provide you with additional insurance for these special items, in case anything happens.
Are Movers Insured?
Most moving companies will provide you with the basic liability insurance, but that will not be enough to cover the value of these precious items.
You should also consider filing for homeowners insurance or renters insurance. The insurance company will ask for an inventory list so they can determine the approximate cost of replacing these valuable items and to decide the amount of your insurance coverage and premium.
How to Make an Inventory List – Step by Step
Print a list with checkboxes
There are a lot of exemplary inventory lists that you can find online. You can use them or you can make your own, the old school method of using a piece of paper and a pen. Some people prefer this method, some prefer the printed list. Whichever you choose, include the name of the room or the space where the item is, the name of the item, condition of the item and the item’s estimated value. Back up your written inventory list with a digital one.
Go room by room
Inventory each room of your house separately. The easiest way to make your inventory list is to go room by room and write down everything you will be moving. By doing this you will not forget anything that is important. Begin with the largest items, and as you pack your smaller items in the box, write them down. You can even make a copy for each box and tape the paper with the list of the items on the top of the box.
Take photos and videos
Take pictures of all items you inventory as soon as you write them down on the list. Taking photos of each item is recommended, especially when it comes to your most valuable possessions. Turn on the date-stamp function of your digital camera too to remove any doubts about when those photos were taken.
Double Check Everything Before the House Packing Services
The last step in the process of creating an inventory list for moving is to go over it properly.
Remember to stay organized throughout the entire process. Compare your own inventory list to the one made by the movers and double-check if everything is correct.
On the day of your move, see that you check off boxes as they come off the moving truck. This will help you ensure that everything gets to your new home safely, and that none of the boxes are lost in the process.
What to Do Once Your House Packing Services Are Completed
If you created a moving inventory list, that should provide a quick and easy way to verify that all your belongings make the move with you. So, what should you do after the move? Once the professional movers finish the job, you should go over your list and unpack everything, at least just open the boxes to make sure that everything is there.
Items can be lost or damaged, but if you know exactly what should arrive at your new home, your insurance company should cover the loss or the damage of the items.
As you unpack, just check each checkbox on the list or simply cross it from the list, that way you will not go back to the same part of the list ever again, you will know that the item arrived at the destination.
You can save this list as a backup option in the case of some accidents – fire or maybe a flood. You can update it every time you buy a new piece of furniture or jewelry. There is no need to keep an inventory list of your clothing, except if they are not especially valuable.
Get A Free Quote
If you are looking for professional house packing services, check out our website for a free quote. We have been in business for decades and thoroughly enjoy making moving easy. Let’s get in touch!