A home inventory is one of the most important and useful documents that you will need in the relocation process. Home inventory for moving purposes can be really similar to the one you may already have from your insurance company, but it is not the same. You should keep track of all of your belongings, especially of your priceless and valuable possessions.
Relocation can be overwhelming, and as hard as you try you will not be able to remember all of the things you own. This is why it is important to make a home inventory list before you start packing. If you hire a professional moving company and professional packers they will provide you with an inventory list, you should have your own too! You will want to double-check everything.
Why Should You Make a Moving Home Inventory List:
1. It Will Help You With the Packing Process:
The home inventory list can be used as a comprehensive packing list too and this way you can be sure that you will not forget anything and that all of your items will be packed in an organized and systematic manner. Also, the inventory list will help you determine the amount of packing supplies!
2. You Will Get a Better Picture of Your Belongings:
Surely, everyone has some items around the house that are outdated, damaged or simply duplicates, and they tend to be forgotten about. You will have the list of all of your belongings, and you will be able to decide which items to leave behind. You will be able to organize a garage sale, sell those items online or simply toss them away. You don’t want to fill your new home with unnecessary items from the start, and you will also have fewer things to move.
3. You Will Be Able to Get a More Accurate Moving Estimate:
The cost of your move depends on a number of things, but it definitely depends on the total weight and number of your items. If you make an inventory, you will be able to get an idea of the weight and to assume the moving cost ahead. Your inventory list will also help your movers come up with the final price since they will be able to tell you how much time will they need for loading and unloading, packing, what special services will be required and it will help them prepare all the necessary equipment for your specific situation.
4. It Will Help You Get the Proper Insurance and Liability Coverage:
Your moving home inventory list includes information about the cost and value of your belongings and this will help you determine what kind of liability coverage is appropriate in your case. If you have some valuable possessions you may need some special art handling services or you will need to fill out some high-value forms, etc. Your inventory will also contain information about the condition of your items and if some of them are damaged or lost during a move your inventory list will help you file an insurance claim. Apart from that, after the relocation is finished, you will be able to use this list for your new insurance plan.
5. It Will Help You With the Unpacking Process:
Not only that this list will help you pack your belongings, but it will also be extremely useful for unloading and unpacking too. You will be able to check every item upon delivery, that way you will know if anything is lost. Sometimes people don’t notice that their stuff is missing immediately, especially in the case of long distance moving, and by the time they notice it is too late to file a claim.
How to Make a Moving Home Inventory List in 10 Easy Steps:
1. Decide When to Start, Pick a Date, Take a Lot of Time:
Allow yourself plenty of time for making a home inventory for moving. You don’t want to rush this if you are going to do it, do it right. Otherwise, you will only be wasting a lot of time, and your items will still be able to get lost. Take your time.
2. Pick a Method: Digital or Analog?
Before you make an actual inventory template you will need to decide will you write with your hand or will you create a digital spreadsheet? Both of those methods are right, and they both have their own pros and cons. Digital files can be a faster method and it will allow you to make changes faster in the future, you can always choose to make a digital list and print it after so you can add notes by hand.
3. Create a Home Inventory Template:
Once you have determined the method, you can make a template. There a several most important columns that your inventory template must include and those are:
1. Item Name
2. Current Item Condition
3. Quantity
4. Year of Purchase
5. Value, Original Price
6. Destination Room
7. Notes
4. Delegate, Find More People to Help You:
Before you start going over your house and writing down everything you own to make sure you have enough people for this task. You can ask your friends and all family members should be included, even kids, they can inventory their own rooms, you will need to double-check after them but you should double-check everything either way.
5. Start With One Room:
It is time to start, pick a room and go over it, residential moving is never easy, especially if you lived in one house for a long time. One person can inventory one room, and after you can switch, for double-checking.
6. Take Photos:
You should take photos of your items. It will be easier to remember the exact item and those photos will be one of the most important proofs on the current condition of your belongings.
7. Make a Video:
This step is not mandatory but if you have time you can make short videos of your rooms and belongings.
8. Start With the Furniture:
You should start with the biggest items in the room, and you should note if they need to be disassembled, if they do, mark the pieces appropriately.
9. Double-Check Everything:
If all of your belongings are n the home inventory list you can take a break and relax. But you should also double-check it, go the other way around this time, read the list and look for the items.
10. Make Multiple Copies:
You are done now, all of your belongings are on the list and all of the information about them is there too. Now you just need to make sure not to lose it. Make several copies before you contact your movers, keep one with you, one with the most important documents, you can send one with your movers and you can have one in the hands of someone you trust.
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As it was mentioned earlier, moving home inventory list is one of the most essential self-made documents that you will need in the relocation process, but you will want to save it for the future too. This document can be used for your new insurance, and you should update it regularly. Write down all the big purchases and keep track of your possession in the future!
