Moving your Personal Documents
Moving house is a chaotic time with so much planning and packing to consider. However, moving house doesn't just involve packing your furniture, clothes, plates and cutlery; you also need to move hundreds of personal and important documents.
Don't underestimate how important it is to have all your documents organised and easily accessible, as it will save you time and money in the unlikely event something goes wrong during your house move and you need your documents. No matter how reliable and trustworthy your removal company is, you should always make sure your documents are protected.
This week, Comparemymove.com have created a guide to help you organise and move your most important documents to your new house.
Go Through Every Document
Give yourself enough time to organise your documents. Once you know your moving date, go through each document to make sure nothing has expired and your warranties are still valid. You don't need to keep documents that have expired, but if you aren't sure if they have or not, keep them just in case.
Categorise Your Documents
Once you have decided what documents to keep or throw away, separating them into categories will make them easily identifiable and accessible. These are just some categories you can separate your documents into:
Personal Documents
- Birth certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Death certificates
- Immigration documents
- Diplomas and proof of academic/professional qualifications
- Passports
- Medical records
- Visas (if you're moving abroad)
- Children's school/medical records
Housing Documents
- Property deeds
- Utility bills
- Council tax bills
- Tenancy agreements
- Mortgage documents
Moving Documents
- Moving contract with the removal company
- Additional agreements
- House inventory sheets
- Receipts
Use Folders
To keep your folders together and organised, it's worth buying three ring binder folders with pocket dividers and plastic sleeves.
It's also recommended that you buy a personal safe for your most important and valuable documents. Keep in mind, you need to keep your folders and safe with you during the move, don't pack them in the removal van.
Keep Copies
Make sure you have back-ups of all your documents in case anything gets lost, stolen or damaged. House moves are tiring and unpredictable; you are going to have a team of people walking in and out and carrying hundreds of boxes, and while it is unlikely anything will go wrong if you hire a good removal company, having copies of your important documents will give you peace of mind.
Ensure you keep your copies in a separate folder and ask a close friend or relative to keep them in their house.
Digital copies are the best method of back-up. You can access them anywhere, anytime, and you don't have to worry about them being damaged.
Avoid Identify Theft
Moving important documents from your old property to your new house doesn't just run the risk of you misplacing or damaging them, but also identity theft. There will be a lot of sensitive information moved, such as credit card numbers and passwords, and if it's lost, it could end up in the wrong hands.
Minimise the risk of you becoming a victim of identity theft, ensure your online documents are protected with strong passwords, and for your physical copies, make sure you redirect your mail before your house move so that essential documents arrive at the right address.
If you don't intend on keeping some documents, don't simply throw them away as they are; shred or burn them. When it comes to moving day, keep your documents and hard drives with you.
When it comes to moving your documents, don't underestimate how much time you will have to spend organising everything. Make sure you categorise them in your folders so they are easy to find, and make physical and digital duplicates of them, in the event they go missing or are damaged.
On moving day, keep your documents with you, not in the removal van. When it comes to packing the rest of the house up, Comparemymove.com have a network of reputable removal companies that can tailor their services to your needs, and save you up to 70% on your moving costs.
