Written by: Kate Becker
Date:

Let’s face it – there are a few things in life more chaotic than a relocation. You’re dealing with dozens of different chores and tasks – and all at the same time. That’s why having a good plan in place is crucial – at all times, you need to know what your priorities are. Of course, a relocation plan is pretty much useless without a thorough moving inventory list. Yes, it may seem like a lot of work, but trust us – this is something you definitely can’t do without. Although, if you follow helpful moving tips, this will be quite easy to do. And once your move is finished, you’ll see that doing it without your inventory would’ve been much more difficult.

Knowing where you stand

First of all, there’s a good reason why most people make a moving inventory list while they move. In fact, there are many sound reasons! And the first and most obvious one is – you need to know where you stand with your household. Trust us – a lot of people make the mistake of not doing an inventory of their household. And because of that, they tend to vastly underestimate the amount of space they’ll need for their things. Next thing you know, you’re in the middle of looking for long distance moving companies Minnesota, and you’ve run out of space! Trust us – there’s nothing worse than realizing you need to look for storage options – right smack dab in the middle of your move.

That’s why it’s really important to make a moving inventory list early on. Once you do that, you’ll know exactly what kind of bulk you’re dealing with – which means you can plan for every eventuality. And you can even get rid of any excess stuff long before moving day. Or, on the other hand, you can prepare for finding good storage on time.

Electronics and other smaller items orderly arranged on a wooden surface.

A moving inventory list will help you keep track of everything!

Dealing with moving costs

Also, speaking of bulk and space – you should know that the amount and kind of items you’re transferring will have a huge impact on your moving costs. In other words, knowing how many things you have and how much they weigh will help you estimate moving expenses. And furthermore, that’s how most moving companies make a moving estimate as well. Obviously, you can see exactly how a moving inventory list would come in handy here.

You’re not waiting for a moving company to come and do an estimate of your household items – you’ve already got the information yourself! Sure, good movers will do a thorough walk-through of your home – but no-one knows your household better than you! So don’t hesitate with making a moving inventory list, thinking that you’re wasting your time. Down the road, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of trouble, and potentially expenses.

Stacks of pennies on a table.

Your inventory will also help you predict moving costs.

A moving inventory list will help with packing

Of course, moving costs aren’t the only thing your moving inventory list will help with – not by a long shot! Trust us – once the time for packing comes around, you’ll fall in love with your detailed inventory. Why? Because having a list of all the items that need to be moved will make this process much, much easier. Especially if you’re hiring cross country moving companies California and getting ready for a long trip.

It may not be obvious to you right away – but having all of this information in front of you will make a world of difference. Because once you have a list of everything you need to pack, you’ll easily be able to break that list down into categories. And once you’ve done that, your packing will basically take one afternoon. While otherwise, in the chaos of packing everything in your household, this could take days. But as you can see – shortening this process isn’t difficult, once you organize yourself properly.

Keeping track of everything during the move

Of course, it’s not just about knowing what you’re packing. On the other hand, you also want to be able to keep track of everything while the transit is in progress. And that’s something your moving inventory list will come in handy with. After all, a relocation is quite a complicated process – and not just for you, but for the movers as well. So, your inventory is helpful because of:

  • Missing items: Especially if the movers also handling another shipment for other people at the same time – things can get misplaced. And it doesn’t even have to occur because of any particular mismanagement. At the end of the day, even if you use a proper packing guide, things can get lost.
  • Checking everything during the relocation: But that’s why your moving inventory list comes in to save the day! While the moving team is loading your boxes onto their truck, you can use this list to check if everything is there. It’ll be easy as pie – you just watch what’s being loaded, and check it on your list.
  • Final check before unpacking: And then, once the relocation is complete, you check everything again while the movers unload their van. By the time the last box touches the pavement, you’ll know if anything is missing, and exactly what. That way, you’ll be able to react swiftly, and the movers will probably find your missing items in no time at all. But in such cases, early reaction is often the key to settling the matter.
A person checking their moving inventory list in a notebook next to a laptop.

Your moving inventory will make losing something next to impossible!