Moving: Taking Inventory and Getting Organized

Packing up your entire life into a series of boxes is daunting. But if you divide and conquer, and stay organized and document, moving day will go as smoothly as possible.

Take Inventory

Take inventory of important items and make a list. In the chaos of moving, you’ll want to immediately check that these items have arrived at your new home so you don’t have to try to track them down months after the fact.

Information to document:

Item name
Condition
Estimated value (if applicable)

Items to document:

Furniture – Make a list of everything—sofas, tables, chairs, beds, dining furniture, armoires, dressers, TV stands, side tables, and desks. You might think you would notice that a sofa has disappeared, but you would be surprised at what you can miss in the chaos of moving.
Electronics – Document all televisions, gaming consoles, computers, sound systems, Blu-ray players, and kitchen appliances. For complicated setups, like entertainment systems, take a photo of the back so you can mimic where wiring was plugged in when you set up in your new home.
Keepsakes, heirlooms, valuables, and important documents – Inventory, organize, and store all personal items such as photo albums, birth certificates, passports, jewelry, and heirlooms. Carefully label the boxes, and plan to transport these items personally on moving day.

Prepare a House Map for Movers

One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to create a map or list of where each large item or box in the house will go. Get the floor plan of your new home and indicate where every item should be unloaded (i.e. Bed #1 – Master Bedroom, Sofa #2 – Den), Then be sure to label your furniture and boxes accordingly when you pack.

On moving day, provide each mover with a print out of your map or list, and they can unload items in their respective rooms. Not only will it be easy to take inventory once you’re done, you won’t have to worry about moving a 150-pound sofa up or down stairs to the correct room.