Did you know that on average over $16 million is spent every year by companies who relocate within the USA?
Whether a family move or a business move, moving can be a stressful time. Leaving old premises. Preparing new locations. There is truly a lot to do even before you open the doors of your new location.
However, one of the most difficult parts is packing and tracking your personal items during the transition. How can you successfully make a moving inventory to track your possessions?
Check out our in-depth guide below to see how you can make this possible.
1. Pick Your Inventory Method
Before you can start moving you have to plan how you will go about it. There are basically two methods of inventorying your items: Electronically or Physical Notes.
Electronically
This has real advantages. You can use a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Excel or Google sheets to document all your items in an organized fashion. It may be possible for more than one person to work on the same spreadsheet at the same time. You can manipulate, move and format the information to your heart’s delight.
This is especially beneficial for office relocation projects when you may have a team of workers listing potentially expensive equipment.
There are even mobile applications made specifically for this purpose on the Android and Apple platforms.
Physical Notes
If electronic notation is not really your thing, the next best thing is physical notes. A carefully organized notebook with columns to record box numbers and contents should do the trick.
In the end, the deciding factor should be your preference. Which method are you most comfortable with? Which method will help you to recall and find the items after the move?
2. Use a Room-by-Room Method
You will later thank yourself if you list your inventory items by category. Categories could include Kitchen, Bathroom and so on. Listing items room by room will save you time later.
Before packing up a room, list every item in the room and keep those numbers together on your inventory. You may wish to leave extra space on your list in case you add items to this category later.
If you have a very clear idea of how you will set up your new location this can help you. You can list not only items currently in your kitchen, but also all the items that will be in your kitchen. This means that the movers will be able to deposit the items in the right location and you will be able to unpack and get comfortable in your home very quickly.
3. Note Important Information
When you enter a room to inventory its contents, it is generally best to start with the largest items and move to the smallest. During this stage, you will need to note important information.
Your goal is not only to note how many items you possess, but it is also to note the condition of items. If something should break during the move and you need to complete a house moving insurance claim, this information will be invaluable.
it is often good to separate your notes into at least 5 columns:
Item
A basic description of what the items are. For some more expensive items, it may be good to list the make, age, and serial number.
Condition
Look realistically at the item and note any flaws it may have. Describe any damage.
Value
Do you have the original packaging for an item? Even the receipt? Using this information you will be able to calculate the current value of the item. It is good to note any items that need special care.
Destination
Mark clearly the room the items will live in. If the room is large, you can even specify where in the room. At this point, note any other information that you think maybe practically helpful.
4. Use Tools to Make Your Life Easier
What is the number one tool that you can use to make your packing experience easier? A simple digital camera. Whether it is a part of your smartphone or a stand-alone cheap digital camera, it is invaluable.
If a picture paints a thousand words, a photo can save you from writing many notes regarding the location or condition fo the goods you are inventorying.
Take more photos than you think you will need and then keep them in a location that you can easily access.
A simple and time-saving method for visual inventorying is to take a video. Using your camera, take a clear video with good lighting and speak over the video. Express important details clearly. This can be done with both the destination rooms and your current dwelling.
A video like this can add important details to your inventory item list.
5. Keep All Your Possessions in One Safe Location
After you have listed all your items you will want to have them moved and stored safely. Storage containers of a suitable size can be your friend.
They can help you to keep all of your items in one place until you are ready to unpack them in your house.
Create Your Moving Inventory
If you are interested in creating a moving inventory then you value efficiency and organization. These are two qualities that can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful moving experience.
Whether you are storing items permanently or temporarily, you will want a method of storage that carefully protects your items. We are here to help.
We leverage our years of storage and shipping experience to provide containers that can care for your storage needs. Simply contact us or follow our blog to see how we can help you.