How to Organize Your Important Documents Before a Move

Preparing for your move might feel a bit tricky, especially if you’re bringing plenty of important documents along with you. From car titles and house deeds to contracts and receipts, these things often get lost in a sea of moving boxes. While you can just throw these documents in a filing cabinet and load it onto the moving truck, there’s a good chance that the papers are highly disorganized.

The last thing you want is to go through dozens of papers just to find out the document you’re looking for. This guide will help you organize your documents in a way that makes them easier to look for. Say goodbye to messy folders and a whole lot of headaches when you do this before moving day arrives!

The importance of organizing your documents

There are a number of reasons why you should sort out your papers prior to a big move. Here’s why:

• You avoid misplacing them – Most homeowners just chuck their papers into a folder, place it on any moving box where it fits, and call it a day. The problem is that these documents can easily be misplaced. You’ll have to unpack each moving box before you find out where your invoices and receipts are. To avoid this, you should organize your documents and place them in a single moving box so you know where to look for them. 
• It protects the papers from getting damaged – Documents can easily be torn, wrinkled, or damaged during transit. You don’t want to risk tearing your real estate paperwork after unpacking or potentially have it wrinkled due to other objects moving around. Keeping them in a folder and placing them in a dedicated moving box helps protect the documents from unwanted damage. 
• You save more time – Moving house is quite hectic and tedious. The less time you spend searching for important paperwork, the more time you’ll have to prepare for the move.

Sorting out your documents

Your papers should be arranged based on which type of document they are. Categorize your papers under these document types to make them easier to find.

• Moving documents – written estimates, lading bill, inventory list, and moving contracts should be included in this category.
• Financial documents – tax receipts, income tax documents, checking/savings account records, loan papers, and credit card bills should be filed under one category.

• Property-related documents – buying/selling agreements, insurance coverage, vehicle registration papers, car warranty, and lease papers are to be filed in a single folder. 

• Contractual documents – any legal binding document should be separated from your other papers like employment contracts, insurance agreements, and financial agreements. 

• Personal documents – passports, identification cards, birth certificates, marriage certificate, and health information should be kept in a separate and accessible folder for easy reference.
• Contacts list – when moving house, you should have a contact list ready that contains important numbers like emergency numbers, contacts of friends, relatives, and family, and the contact number of your moving company as well.

Organizing your documents in 5 easy steps

Sorting out your papers isn’t that difficult. These four steps are all you need to organize your documents efficiently.

1. Start categorizing your documents and separate which ones are important and which ones aren’t. Old receipts and expired contracts should be disposed of to minimize as much clutter as possible. If you’re unsure of any papers, set them aside and evaluate them again later.

2. Store documents that you need to access like moving contracts and insurance paperwork in an easy-to-reach location. Keep other important documents like birth certificates, ID’s, and passports in a secure place where only you can access.

3. Create a filing system based on each paper’s category. Use colour-coded folders or label each folder for easy identification. Use bright, distinct colours such as yellow, red, orange, and bright green. You can also break down your papers and sub-categorize them if you have plenty of important documents to bring.

4. If you have the money, invest in a small safe where you can store all of your important documents. A safe is your best bet when moving house since it protects your documents from damage and cannot be accessed by just anyone who gets hold of it.

5. Scan each document and store the files in a flash drive. It’s important to have digital copies of all of your papers for backup purposes. You’ll never know when you need a backup file in case one of your documents get lost, stolen, or damaged during transit.

Taking the time to organize your documents will go a long way towards saving you time, energy, and a whole lot of headaches. While most of us go into frenzy mode when moving house, it’s important that you sort out your paperwork first. That way, you won’t have to deal with the trouble of damaged contracts, lost receipts, and hard-to-find papers after arriving in your new home. Adlam Transport are professional removalists in Perth who can help assist you through every step of your move, from documentation to furniture removals. For any additional information do not hesitate to get in touch today on 08 9206 8100.