8 Tips to prevent robberies and losses during moving
Moving to a new home is one of the most exciting moments in life: a new destination, new hopes, new plans… But before all that becomes a reality, we must go through a “small procedure” that, if not done properly, can turn into a nightmare: the move.
Believe it or not, over the years, we tend to accumulate an incredible amount of furniture and objects. If we don’t plan and organize adequately, it can be very difficult to transport your belongings safely. We may experience losses along the way, become victims of theft, or find that the move cannot be completed in a single day, among other issues.
Therefore, we will now explain the 8 best tips to avoid any type of theft or loss of your possessions during your moving day:
1. Transport valuable items yourself
If you have small valuable items such as jewelry, brand watches, or expensive electronic devices, it is recommended that you separate them from the rest of your belongings and transport them personally in a secure manner.
This way, you will prevent anyone from fraudulently taking them amidst the chaos that can occur on moving day.
2. Pack and seal small objects in boxes
To prevent theft and loss of small objects during the move, it’s always a good idea to pack these items in boxes before the transportation process begins.
You can reuse boxes from any purchased products, and if you don’t have enough boxes, they can be easily acquired. In the following link, for example, you can find affordable packs of boxes suitable for transporting objects. Make sure to buy enough boxes and choose the appropriate sizes you will need.
Also, remember to protect your belongings by using bubble wrap (as seen in this link), paper balls, or any other method that prevents movement and internal impacts within the boxes.
Finally, don’t forget to securely seal your boxes to prevent them from being easily opened or tampered with. As you can see in the following link, you can get a pack of packing tape at a very affordable price.
3. Plan your move in advance
Proper planning is essential to avoid any problems on moving day. Additionally, with efficient organization, you can complete your move in less time, saving money if you hire a moving company since they usually charge hourly.
To achieve this, it is crucial to perform the following tasks:
- Cleaning and organization: Have your house clean and organized. Otherwise, if you have objects scattered without order, not only will you waste time during transportation, but you will also increase the risk of losing items along the way.
- Assign roles and responsibilities: Each participant in the move should have specific and defined tasks. Otherwise, you may have people standing around doing nothing, nobody watching the entrance to the house or the hallway where your belongings accumulate, or people duplicating tasks.
- Consider what to do with children: If they are old enough, you can assign them simple tasks to help them stay entertained and not be a distraction. However, if they are young, make sure someone takes care of them to avoid distractions and wasting your time.
- Pack items and dismantle furniture: Before moving day, to avoid unnecessary time loss, pack smaller items and consider dismantling larger furniture that cannot be transported otherwise.
4. Create an inventory to avoid forgetting items
Without any control, the absence of an item or box will likely go unnoticed, and you might not realize it immediately. For example, if you take 19 boxes and end up with only 18 at your destination, will you immediately notice that one box is missing if you haven’t previously made an inventory? If you have 11 pictures and only 10 arrive at your new home, do you think you will immediately notice the difference?
Moreover, an inventory will make it much easier for you to settle into your new home by allowing you to know exactly what is stored in each box, enabling you to quickly find what you need.
Lastly, it is important to remember that if you have hired a moving company and they see that your boxes are numbered and you have an inventory list, it will be very difficult for any employee to be tempted to commit theft due to such control.
5. Park the transport vehicle close to your home
One of the most delicate moments during any move or transportation of goods is when you take them out of your house and load them into the vehicle. Even if someone is responsible for watching over them, it can be challenging to avoid any momentary oversight, especially if the vehicle is parked some distance away from your home.
For this reason, it is important to park the vehicle used for transportation as close to your home as possible. Try to park your car in a nearby parking lot a few days before the move, whenever you have the opportunity. Then, when the transport van arrives, you can move your car and allow it to park in that spot. If you need to make multiple trips, you can always park your car in the same parking lot when the transport van leaves and reserve the spot again for its return.
6. Keep an eye on your belongings at all times
Despite the temptation to briefly leave your belongings unattended to expedite the move and be faster, never do it. Always maintain a certain level of vigilance and never leave your front door open without supervision or leave your accumulated items unattended, even if it’s just in the hallway of your building.
Keep in mind that this point is the most vulnerable to theft by a third party who may be lurking and attempting to steal something at the slightest carelessness.
7. Hire a reputable moving company
If you choose to hire a professional moving service, make sure they have a good reputation. You can check online reviews about their practices and customer experiences. By doing this, you can not only verify their honesty but also see if they meet other important requirements for this service, such as punctuality, transport efficiency, professionalism in handling your belongings, etc.
Above all, avoid hiring individuals who work independently without being legally constituted as a company. Consider what might happen if there are any complications during the transportation: if there is an accident in your house, if furniture gets damaged, if someone commits theft and then becomes impossible to contact…
8. Perform a quick check at the end
With the inventory you created, perform a quick check at the end of the move. This way, you can ensure that none of your belongings have gone missing and verify their condition after transportation.
If you find that any of your objects or furniture has been damaged, report it immediately to the moving company if you have hired one. This way, you may be eligible for compensation or some form of restitution in cases of clear negligence.
Final advice: Organization is key
As you can see, successfully completing a move is not complicated at all. You just need to ensure you have proper organization in place, planned days in advance of the move. By doing so, you will avoid possible thefts or losses and also complete the move much faster, avoiding additional costs from the moving service, as they will naturally charge you by the hour.
If you found this article on how to safely transport goods during a move interesting, you might also be interested in learning how to prevent theft in your storage unit. If so, don’t hesitate to read our article “14 Keys to prevent theft in your storage room”.