When you have a house move on the horizon, things tend to get complicated and chaos starts making its way into your home, your actions, and your mind. There is too much to do. Too many things to consider. Too many plans to make. Too many details to take care of. Too many phone numbers and names to remember. Way too many papers to deal with.
The only way to stay on top of it all and keep chaos at bay is to create perfect organization – organize your time with a moving calendar, organize your finances with a moving budget, organize your documents with a moving binder, etc.
In fact, the moving binder can be said to be the ultimate organizational tool as it contains all other organizational devices – checklists, inventory lists, calendars, schedules, contact information, documents, etc. – in itself. The home moving binder is where you can keep, organize, and easily refer to all papers, plans, and other materials connected to your move.
What is a moving binder?
Essentially, a moving binder is a big, sturdy binder with labeled dividers that provides you with somewhere to store your important documents, moving checklists, inventory sheets, contact lists, and other relocation-related papers. It helps you stay organized during the move, keep track of the necessary paperwork, and reduce some of the notorious relocation stress.
When you make a moving binder:
- All your moving-related papers and materials will be kept together, so you won’t risk misplacing a document and wasting precious time (and nerves) trying to locate it when you need it;
- All your important documents (personal documents, financial records, property-related documents, etc.) will be gathered in one place, sorted out, and organized in a logical and practical manner;
- All your checklists, to-do lists, schedules, plans, etc. will be stored together, so you’ll be unlikely to forget or overlook anything important. What’s more, you’ll be able to compare the lists, keep track of your progress, and better prepare for your forthcoming relocation.
When you need to refer to something, there will be no wasted time looking for the necessary papers, as they’ll be all in the same place, neatly organized in sections. Besides, you won’t lose or forget to take any of your documents to your new home – everything will be in your moving binder and the binder will stay with you all the time.
Related useful information: How to stay organized when moving
How to make a moving binder
Making a moving binder should be among the first things to do when planning a house move as it will help you stay organized and stay on top of things throughout the entire relocation process.
Step 1. Get the necessary supplies
To create a moving binder, you’re going to need:
- A three-ring binder – 1.5-2″ binders are your best choice – they’re large enough to keep all your papers, but not so large that they become heavy and difficult to carry around. Of course, the bigger the move, the bigger the binder that will be needed;
- Tabbed pocket dividers – consider multicolored dividers that will make color-coding easier;
- Sheet protectors;
- A binder zipper pouch.
Post-it flags, post-it notes, a pen and a pencil, and other similar items may also be needed when creating a moving binder. Moving binder printables usually come pretty handy as well.
Step 2. Decide what to include in your binder and create corresponding sections
Your home moving binder is meant to:
- keep your documents safe and organized;
- help you keep track of your moving progress;
- give you quick and easy access to any papers, information, and other reference materials you may need during the relocation process.
To be able to serve all these purposes, the binder needs to include all your documents, plans, schedules, checklists, contact lists, and other moving-related materials. All the papers should be grouped in sections for better organization and greater efficiency:
- Documentation section – your and your family members’ personal ID documents, financial documents, medical records, school records, certificates, professional licenses, registration papers, etc. Make sure you sort out your documents, discard outdated or unneeded ones (shred or burn the old documents to prevent identity theft), and separate the papers in categories before placing them in the binder (See also: How to organize documents when moving house);
- “Old home” section – sales agreements, lease copies, insurance policies, appraisals, inspection reports, furniture measurements, warranties, invoices, and any other papers related to your old property;
- “New home” section – purchase agreements, mortgage documents, rental agreements, inspection reports, floor plans, renovation projects, and other papers related to your new property;
- “Movers” section – moving contracts, written estimates from moving companies, receipts, weight tickets, moving-guide pamphlets, moving insurance papers, and other moving-related paperwork;
- “Budget and expense” section – your moving budget and the receipts for all your moving-related expenses (as well as donation receipts);
- Schedules section – moving timeline, appointments, etc. (make sure you write down the time, date, and other details of your scheduled appointments);
- Checklists section – master moving checklist, packing timeline, packing supplies checklist, new home checklist, move-out and move-in cleaning checklists, a list of documents to change after the move, etc.;
- Inventory section – home moving inventory (a list of all the items you intend to take to your new home); moving company inventory (a list of the items that will be relocated by your chosen movers); box inventory (a numbered list of your moving boxes with the contents of every packing container detailed against the corresponding box number); car inventory (a list of the items you’re going to move in your car – if relevant); an essentials box inventory (a list of the essential items that will be packed in your survival box); etc.;
- Utility section – utility companies’ names and phone numbers, account numbers, costs of connecting and disconnecting utilities, required deposits, copies of application forms, photos of the final readings of the gas, water, and electricity meters in your old home on move-out day, photos of the readings of the utility meters in your new home on move-in day, etc. (See also: How to transfer utilities when moving);
- “New area information” section – all the information you have gathered about your new city (maps, key places, rules and regulations, etc.);
- “To buy” section – a list of the items you need to buy for your new home;
- “To sell” section – a list of the items you want to sell (either online or at a garage sale) before the move;
- Travel section – plane tickets, hotel reservations, maps, etc. (as applicable);
- Contacts section – a list of important phone numbers and the contact information of all companies, institutions, and individuals related to your move;
- Notes.
You can also include a “school” section, “car-shipping” section, “storage” section, and any other sections that may be useful in your particular circumstances. Make sure all the information in the binder is relevant, useful, and concise.
Use your tabbed dividers to separate the moving binder sections. Assign a color to each section, so that you can find what you’re looking for at a glance.
Step 3. Make your moving binder
Once you have the right supplies and know exactly what you want to include in your moving binder, you can finally get down to work:
- Consider the moving binder covers – you can print a title (The Big Move, The Ultimate Moving Binder, etc.), a picture (a photo of your new home, a funny moving-related sketch, etc.), or anything else you find appropriate and attach it to the front cover of your three-ring binder;
- Put the zipper pouch first – place your post-it flags, post-it notes, paperclips, pens and pencils, and other miscellaneous items you may need when making/updating your moving binder in it;
- Make the first page an index of the sections in the binder – include an explanation of what each color denotes;
- Put your papers, printables, notes, and other materials you’ve decided to include in the moving binder in plastic sleeves and separate them in sections as detailed above;
- Place the sleeves from the first section in the binder, put a divider, then place the sleeves from the second section and repeat the process until all your papers are in the binder;
- Label and color-code the moving binder sections.
Use the above moving binder ideas to create your customized moving organizer and keep chaos at bay during the hectic relocation process. Keep the binder safe and close at hand during the entire moving process.
One final piece of advice: Make sure your moving binder travels with you to your new home – consider purchasing a specialized file box, a small lockbox, or a portable safe for secure transportation.
