There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of the moving process and realizing you’ve forgotten where a vital document is. Or worse, it’s packed away in a filing cabinet that’s already on the moving truck.
If you’re only moving a few miles away from your current location, keeping essential papers handy isn’t as crucial as it would be when making a long-distance move. Regardless of where you’re moving to, knowing which documents are the most important to keep with you during the move can ease your mind and make the process easier.
Moving Documents
Before your move, you’ll have several documents that should be handy. Suppose you’ve hired help with packing and moving. In that case, the moving company will provide documents you’ll want to have access to, including:
- Binding estimate
- Signed contract
- Inventory list
- Payment receipts
Moving-guide pamphlets are also a great resource to which you’ll want to have easy access. If you’ve created a moving calendar or checklist to keep you organized and on time, you should also have those on hand. Putting all these documents in a folder together makes it easy to grab and go.
Personal Documents
If you’re traveling as part of the moving process, especially by air, you’ll need to have personal documents available. These should stay on your person at all times and not shipped to your new location:
- Driver’s license
- Birth certificates for all family members
- Marriage and divorce certificates (if applicable)
- Military documents (if applicable)
- Medical records for family and pets
- Copies of prescriptions and proof of transfer
- School records, including vaccinations, to enroll kids in their new schools
- List of important phone numbers
- Contracts, manuals, warranties of appliances coming with you
After you’ve gathered all your documents, be sure to put them in a lockbox or somewhere else safe. Remember that some of these documents have sensitive personal information you don’t want getting into the wrong hands.
Financial Documents
If you aren’t moving your items yourself, keep financial documents with you and under lock and key for safety. Even if you are doing the packing and moving, make sure you tuck these documents away from other people’s eyes:
- Credit cards and statements
- Appraisals for valuables
- Bank account statements
- Loan documents
- Income tax returns and documents
- Charity donation receipts
When you’re ready to do your taxes, having your donation receipts handy will make it easy. And will ensure you get the maximum tax deduction to which you’re entitled.
Property Documents
When you’re moving from one house to the next, you have to either cancel a lease or sell your prior home. You may even sell a car as part of the moving process. Having your property documents together makes it easy to grab if you need confirmation or proof while moving:
- Canceled rental lease
- Mortgage documents for new and old home
- Auto insurance cards
- Property insurance documents, including cancellation receipt for old policy
- Motor vehicle registration
- Selling and buying agreements
If you’re having your car moved to your new location, make sure your tickets for pickup are with you and not with your items on the moving truck.
Your Packing and Moving Solution
Freedom Moving in Pasadena, Maryland, is a full-service moving company. From packing to moving, let Freedom move you! Call us at 410-88-MOVER to get a free, no-obligation quote for packing or moving services. We also offer online quote estimates for packing, which can also serve as your inventory list. Find the Freedom Moving difference by contacting us today!
