Moving to your new home. Packing and securing all your belongings before moving though you should take pictures. Taking pictures of your valuables before moving is essential for a number of good reasons. We will discuss below why you should not pack your camera just yet.
Taking pictures is a way of protecting your belongings. You can also save yourself from stress along the way. No matter how professional, experienced and careful your movers are, accidents can happen anytime during your move. It would be best if you are prepared because otherwise you won’t be properly reimbursed for the damage.
So here are the things that you should take photos of when moving.
Photograph Valuable items
Before the movers arrive and pack your items, take photos of your belongings. Examples are furniture, appliances, electronics and other items that you think would cost too much if they get damaged and repaired. Before you let the professionals handle these items, take photos of them as proof of their conditions.
If these items get damaged during or after the move is complete, these photos will be your proof that the damages were incurred under your mover’s possession. Once you have proven your claims, you will receive proper reimbursement from the moving company.
Electronic devices
Take photographs of how your electronics are wired up before you remove the wires and pack them. Taking photos of the back of your TV, audio equipment, computers, gaming devices and other gadgets that use plenty of cable wires coming in and out from them. Make sure to snap photos from different angles before you disconnect those wires.
The photos will be your good visual reference so you won’t have a hard time connecting the wires and cables property once you are in your new home. Otherwise, you may have a hard time figuring out how to reconnect them.
Existing damage
If you think this tip is not necessary, then think again. Taking photographs of the existing damage of your valuables protects against stains, dents, scratches, and cracks. After the move, you may find added scratches or broken parts in your belongings. And if this happens, your movers can’t claim that the damages were already there before they took your things. Sure they can make a claim on that but you’ll have photos to show that there the damages were made worse during the moving process.
You cleaned-out room
Getting your deposit back once you move out is crucial that is why you need to conduct a thorough cleaning on your space before moving out. Trust us when we say that there are landlords who would love not to give your deposit back to you. Taking pictures of your old place before you leave is a great way of keeping evidence of the condition of the place before you left. It can help you defend yourself in case your landlord will make false claims of damage to the property.
So what if you indeed cause damage to the property?
As much as possible, repair them. Fill in the nail holes you made, fix the windows and blinds, make the bathroom clean and shiny. Take pictures of those damages too, whether repaired or not so your landlord won’t be able to charge you high for some minor damages.
Your new place
Before bringing your belongings into your new place and unpacking them. Take out your camera and take pictures of everything, the existing issues in your new place. Why?
Some areas of your new home are prone to damage during the move-in process. Your movers may accidentally ruin your doors, light fixtures or tear the carpet. So if you have photos to show to back up your claim that the movers did the damages, you will not be responsible to pay for repair or replacement of the damage.
If there are existing damages, your pictures will be your proof that you are not the one who caused those damages.
Before you move, you may have conducted an inspection of the property. A good inspection process is the process of examining every area of the house and take pictures of existing conditions of the property. Things like issues on plumbing or electricity systems. You can show these photos to your new landlord or the owner of the property so necessary repairs will be done without you paying for it.
Utility meters
Take photos of your utility meters both from your old home and new home. Make sure you have a clear shot on the readings. This is important so you won’t be charged unfairly for utility usage. Most utility companies charge their customers based on estimates. This means if their baseline reading is not accurate then your estimated usage will be off too.
It is also common to have lags or overlap on customer accounts. You may be charged for another individual’s utility usage. Taking pictures can save yourself if such a situation happens.
Taking photographs of these important things can make your move smooth and avoid headaches in the future. You must not forget to timestamp your photos. Imagine having a picture of your old place in great condition and your landlord won’t give you back you deposit money claiming some damages.
You show the picture to the landlord and they will claim that you took it before the damage was caused. Find some scratches on your belongings and your movers claim that those are already present before they arrived since the picture has no timestamp. This allows you to avoid that headache, right?
