Transporting all of your goods from your old home to your new home can be a daunting task, especially when not having prepared for how to deal with your valuables on moving day. Thieves may look at moving trucks as a sign of an individual who will have a busy day ahead of them, and one that who will have their guard down allowing for a thief to strike.
Preparing Before The Move
As long as you sit down before a move to organize your valuables and craft a strategic plan you’ll avoid coming into contact with thieves on moving day. Make a list of your most prized (and expensive) possessions, and organize a way to keep tabs on all of these items throughout the duration of the move. Keep in mind that thieves don’t target items that are large and heavy to move or hard to sell (tables, chairs, couches, cabinets). Smaller items (books, dishware, movies) don’t carry a high resale tag.
Items To Look After 
- Luxury brand items (designer shoes, purses, perfumes, clothing).
- Medicine (prescription drugs) and medical materials (epinephrine injections, portable insulin infusion devices, blood glucose meters).
- Bond investments, birth certificates, banking information and all other personal data.
- Shopping cards (including cash, debit, credit and store cards).
- Collectibles (from trading cards, coins, antiques and comic books).
- Sports equipment (bikes, surfboards, kayaks, golf clubs, exercise machines).
- Jewelry (precious stones, gold, silver).
- Antiques (china, crystal, sterling silver).
- Electronic devices (TV’s, DVD players, phones, computers, gaming systems, tablets).
During The Move
A way to trick potential thieves is by mislabeling boxes on purpose. Store the living room electronic devices in a box labeled “books” and place luxury brand items in a box named “bathroom supplies”. Don’t make the mistake of placing all of your expensive valuables in a single box. Break up the items into various boxes so as to scatter your materials. Keep a list in your pocket of what each box contains so you can clearly identify where your belongings are. Make sure you place all the boxes in a safe room that no one is allowed into when finally arriving in your new home.
After The Move
Re-key your new home. You don’t know who still has a copy of a key of what was their old home (and is now your new home). Take out your list and mark off every item. You’ll want to double check your old home to secure you haven’t left anything behind, including any of your boxes. Keep tabs on your online accounts to ensure your identity hasn’t been compromised. Once at your new home, safely store all of your valuables into new locations. Whether you’re moving to Hawaii or to Boston (or to anywhere else), make sure to always look for ways to protect your valuables.
How did you deal with your valuables when moving? Tell us in the comments below!
