How to Ensure That Your Valuables Are Protected When You Move

Protecting your valuables when you move is crucial. It is not only important to protect them physically, but also to protect them financially as well. Whether you move your items yourself or you hire a mover, anything can happen. Glass could break, wood can get chipped, items can go missing and jewelry can get pilfered. Ever wonder where those diamond earrings went when you moved? – They might have been stolen. It is recommended that you not only do your best to get your items insured, but also that you take detailed inventory to make sure there are absolutely no disputes. Here is how to ensure that your valuables are protected when you move.

First, you need to document everything. Not only will documenting and inventorying all the valuable items you have provide proof to an insurer – if you had your items insured – but also you can prove to the moving company that the item was included with the valuables that were transported in the move. It might also be wise to ask the moving company for an inventory list so that there are no questions as to what was included. In addition, you should also take pictures and write out a detailed description of each item.

Next, it is important to know how much all your items are actually worth. If your moving company does misplace one of your valuable items – and you have proof that is was included in the inventory list – you can deduct the amount from the final invoice or have them write you a check for the amount the item is worth. If you were at fault or the item accidently went missing or was damaged when you were doing the moving, your insurance company might be able to cover the balance. If you don’t know how much an item is worth you can always get it appraised.

If you do have your items insured, make sure that when you are purchasing the policy you ask for full protection, versus released protection, which only covers a small percentage of each item. This is especially important if you are hiring a long distance moving company, because there is a much higher probability that there will be damages. It is even more pertinent to get full coverage if you are having valuable items moved overseas in freighters, because your valuables could be moved around or could get knocked against something – it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Lastly, if you have small items made out of fragile materials, like glass or porcelain, make sure to always pack these items with the utmost care and protection. You should not worry about making room for more items, which is why you should always pack each of these valuable items with multiple layers of thick paper and bubble wrap. Just the slightest swerve of the steering wheel could cause a fragile item to get knocked over and break. If you really want to protect your valuables, you can always move them yourself or hire a mover that specializes in fragile and cherished items. At the end of the day, sentimental value can be worth much more than monetary value.