New Zealand is a safe country, but that doesn’t mean you should be lax when it comes to the safety of your belongings. During a move, it can be hard to keep track of all your belongings, expensive or not. The last thing anyone wants is to misplace an item they care about.
Let’s face it. Moving can be chaotic. There are days and sometimes weeks when your belongings are scattered throughout the house, and sometimes things get messier before they get tidier. Additionally, if you’re selling items or letting people into your home, it’s easy to lose track of where items live. Careful planning can help your move go smoothly and ensure everything is where you left it.
These tips will keep your belongings safe during a move and ensure your most precious cargo doesn’t go astray.
Label each box with the name of what room it’s destined for rather than what is inside. For example, a box labelled ‘kitchen’ is far more vague than one that says ‘Vitamix.’ Kitchen items seem fairly benign, and most people wouldn’t want to look through a box that’s filled with cutlery or tupperware. Labelling boxes with the names of expensive tools, gadgets or electrical equipment is one way to get people to notice that what you’re transporting is valuable.
Take particular care with power tools, as these are often a hot commodity for people looking to resell in-demand items quickly.
If there are items of extreme importance - documents, family heirlooms, or expensive jewellery think about storing them somewhere safe during the move. This could be in a purse or bag that’s always with you (or can easily be taken and stored inside at night) or the home of someone you trust. If there are small important items that you won’t need straight away, you could also consider putting them into a safety deposit box until you’ve moved. Medicines, jewellery, and important documents like your passport are small enough not to be a problem. Store these with the same precaution you would take with your wallet or phone. Keep them within reaching distance or locked safely inside your home.
If you’re posting items online to sell, make sure you only engage in the sale once you’ve received payment for the item. This could be in the form of a bank transfer or cold hard cash. While it’s tempting to post or hand over items to people if they’ve shown you a screenshot of the transaction, waiting until the payment hits your bank account is always safer. It’s easy for people to make an error on their online banking or transfer funds when their bank account is low. This could leave you waiting longer for the payment than you would like. The good news is, many banks in New Zealand now process transfers seven days a week, which makes selling items over the weekend that much easier.
It’s easy to forget where items are when you are moving. Make an inventory of items that are important to you and where you’ve decided to keep them. Take photos of your items so that you also have proof of ownership, should anything go wrong. You will need to show these photos to your insurance company if anything goes wrong. It’s also a good idea to get items valued before a big move. This way, you’ll have a current estimation of what the object was worth.
Make a spreadsheet with columns for each item, where you are keeping it, what type of condition it's in, whether you have photos and its valuation.
If you have contents insurance, make sure you check to see what your policy will cover when you move. You might even want to consider taking out additional cover on your most expensive pieces. In New Zealand, moving companies do not have to provide moving insurance, however most reputable companies do.
Finally, when moving house, pack up your security system last. If you don’t have a security system, take a smart approach to keep your valuables safe on moving day. Always ensure someone is with your moving van if there are items in it. Keep the door closed and locked if you’re going to leave it unattended. If this isn’t possible, make sure your moving van is in sight, and you have a view of the street so you can see people coming or going.
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