If you are about to embark on a moving adventure anytime soon, you will need a coherent strategy more than anything else in order to achieve a favorable outcome. As with any other adventure, careful planning and proper preparations are key to a successful and trouble-free experience. So, you’d better roll up your sleeves and get down to work as early as possible to give yourself a head start over your archenemies when moving house – TIME, WEARINESS, and STRESS. When being pressed for time, exhausted by the laborious moving-related tasks and stressed by the magnitude of the relocation endeavor, you may easily forget a number of essential things, overlook crucial aspects of the moving process, or underestimate the resources (packing supplies, time and energy to accomplish all the tasks, effective assistance either by reliable friends or by professional movers, etc.) required for moving your entire household.
The best way to keep everything under control and to stay focused and organized throughout the entire moving process is to have a number of comprehensive checklists to refer to when you feel at a loss. A moving calendar – a detailed to-do list with clear directions and appropriate timeframes – is probably your best friend when moving house. Next comes your home inventory list, as it contains all your earthly possessions and can help you envisage the larger picture and take care of all the important details related to organizing and packing your household for a move.
Have you ever wondered how moving inventory sheets can help you with your relocation project and if it is worth the time required for creating it? You’ll get a clear idea of how indispensable a household moving inventory list is once you start the actual moving preparations.
Why make a moving inventory list?
Not only will a detailed moving inventory sheet help you keep track of your belongings, but it will also allow you to estimate the cost of your move and will render unpacking easier. All in all, a home moving inventory list will help you in several crucial aspects of your moving endeavor:
- Sorting out – anyone who has ever moved before knows that packing all your stuff and loading it onto the moving truck just doesn’t work. So, go through every nook and cranny of your old property and decide which items you want to take with you and which ones you should get rid of either because you don’t need them or don’t like them or because they won’t fit in your new home and your new life. Throw away anything that is badly damaged or too worn out and put aside the pieces that are still in good condition but no longer needed. Then, make a list of all the items that are going for sale and the ones you intend to donate. Everything else must be included in your moving inventory;
- Estimating the moving costs – when moving across country, the approximate cost of your move will be calculated based on your inventory sheet (the number of items on the list and their total weight, the time necessary for shipping them, any special handling requirements, etc.). What’s more, you will be able to estimate what kind of packing materials and how much of them you are going to need;
- Creating a packing list – without a doubt, your detailed home inventory list can double as a perfect packing list. It will guarantee that you won’t forget any of your belongings, will help you estimate the time you will need for packing, will allow you to decide what items to put together in a certain box so that it doesn’t get too heavy and the things inside are logically organized, etc. Above all, labeling will be a piece of cake as you can make an itemized record of what’s inside the boxes and tape it to the corresponding box. As a result, unpacking will also be quick and easy, of course;
- Keeping track of your possessions – you will be able to check against the inventory if everything has been loaded on the moving truck and you will be able to inspect your household items upon delivery. If there is something missing, you will know right away and will be able to take appropriate measures (to quickly find your boxes among other people’s items transported in the same moving truck, for example, or to notify the moving company about stolen or lost shipment). By keeping a precise record of everything you have entrusted to the movers, you’ll be better equipped to file a claim against the moving company if something gets inexplicably lost while in their custody;
- Insuring valuables – you are advised to make a separate list of your most expensive items and have them properly insured. Noting their estimated value in the inventory sheet will help you with insurance claims if any of them get damaged or stolen.
How to make your moving inventory sheet?
You can simply write everything down on paper, or you can take advantage of modern technology and create a moving inventory spreadsheet that can be easily edited. What you need to do, either way, is to carefully document everything you own.
- Inventory your home room by room – it is a good idea to create separate sheets for each separate room. Make a list of everything in one room, then move on to the next. Start with the rooms you rarely use, take note of the major items first and then proceed to the shelves and drawers, etc. It’s not absolutely necessary to document every small possession of yours (individual books, for example) but you should put an emphasis on precious artwork and other valuables. However, don’t entrust your most cherished possessions to the movers – keep them with you all the time;
- Note down important information – your inventory sheet should consist of several columns, containing important information about each specific item (its current condition, its market value, its designated new location, any important specifics, such as make or model number – whatever you find relevant). It’s a good idea to use a spreadsheet on your computer to keep all this information well organized;
- Add visuals – you may walk through your home with a video camera, record all your household items and speak into the microphone to take important voice memos. Or you may simply take photos of your belongings. This is a very convenient approach, especially if you don’t have the time to write down extensive descriptions. A picture will help you prove the condition of your items if any disputes arise. Digital photos stored with your spreadsheet are a fast and simple way to keep a visual record;
- Use an app – without a doubt, electronic records are much easier to produce than inventories written by hand and, also, much more convenient. There are a number of apps for smartphones and tablets specifically designed to help you create a moving inventory. Some of them even include features that allow you to leave a comment or store pictures and video clips to help you document and organize your items.
Once you have created your inventory sheet, make sure that it won’t get accidentally lost amidst the hectic moving preparations. Make several backup copies of the list and keep one of them in the folder with your other important documents, one in your safe, one with you on moving day, etc. Compare your own inventory sheet to the one prepared by the movers and double-check if everything is correct and clearly stated.
So, you are ready for your moving endeavor. Just remember that the hero’s inventory is one of the main elements in any adventure game. No hero can bring their adventure to a successful end unless they are equipped with the right inventory items. So, heed their example and create a detailed inventory for your upcoming moving adventure.
