Prtoecting Your Belongings when you're moving
Family,  Money Matters

Tips for Keeping Yourself and Your Belongings Protected During a Move

Prtoecting Your Belongings when you move

After a long search you’ve found a new home, and you’re ready to begin the moving process. Very quickly, the euphoria of finding the perfect place gives way to the realization that now you have to uproot everything. Even small moves across the same city require tons of preparation. It’s amazing to think that you’re literally packing up your life. All of the memories, family heirlooms, and worldly possessions that have been gathered over the years. Taking steps to protect these items is an important part of the moving process.

Getting Homeowners or Renters Insurance
First thing’s first – protecting your worldly possessions. Even before you move into your new abode, homeowners or renters insurance can help keep you protected from damage or theft. These insurance plans cover most or all of your items in the event there’s a burglary, fire or natural disaster. They can also cover medical expenses if someone is injured on your property. An insurance plan covers your items in one of two ways. You can select actual cash value or replacement cost coverage. Actual cash value reimburses you based on how much the items are currently worth, which factors in depreciation. Replacement value will reimburse you with an amount for what it would cost to replace the item at the current market value. Since things can get broken and people can get injured during a move, it’s best to secure an insurance policy before you begin unpacking.

Know When to Hire Professional Movers
Moves can get expensive very quickly. Between the boxes, packing materials and down payments or deposits it’s understandable that you would want to save money by moving yourself. But there are times when hiring professional movers is a sound investment. Professional movers are worth the added expense in the following scenarios:

-You have a number of heavy items.

-You have specialty items like a piano.

-You need to carry bulky items up stairs.

These are the times when people with experience can make the move much faster and limit the likelihood that a person will get injured. Another benefit of using a reputable moving company is that they carry their own insurance, which keeps you covered in the event something is damaged.

Practice Protective Packing
It’s tempting to start haphazardly putting things into boxes after you’ve already spent hours packing items away. But how things are packed up is often the determining factor in whether things get damaged during transport. It all starts with the box. There is an amazing variety of moving boxes that are made for specific purposes. For electronics and equipment there’s no better box than the one the item came in. But most of us don’t hold onto the packing. If this is the case, look for boxes that will provide a snug fit and are padded on the inside. TV boxes aren’t cheap, but they are highly effective at protecting expensive flat screen televisions. Packing paper is another safeguard when you’re packing numerous breakable items into a single box. You can use packing paper in one of two ways:

-Bunch it up to fill voids so items don’t shift in the box.
-Wrap individual items for an added layer of protection.

It’s also a good idea to pack a “moving day” box with all the essentials you need for the night of the move. Chances are after moving all day you’ll be too tired or won’t have the time to unpack everything. The moving day box will make it easy to settle in without having to dig through boxes to find your toothbrush, a shower curtain, basic eating utensils, etc.

Use the Right Moving Equipment
Moving safely is much easier when you have the right equipment for the job. (It’s one more benefit of hiring professional movers.) Things to make sure you have on hand include:

-Dollies: These are ideal for wheeling away heavy appliances.
-Straps: Straps should be used with dollies and can also be used to tie things down in the moving truck.
-Moving blankets: Heavy-duty moving blankets can be used to protect bulk items like wood furniture during transport.
-Back brace: You see professional movers wearing these because they provide ample support when you’re lifting heavy objects.

-Ramps: If the moving truck doesn’t have a ramp you can rent one from a home goods store to make loading and unloading much easier.
Once everything is safely moved into your new home you can keep things protected with a smart home security system. Not only do these keep burglars at bay, they can also help you get discounts on homeowners and renters insurance.

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