Photography Tips For Your Move

There can be many benefits when you take good quality photos of your home before, during, and after your move.

Below we’re going to go over why you should be taking photos at each stage of your property move. Some of the most vital reasons are to help save time, money and obviously protect your belongings.

Though we’re not suggesting you take photos before moving of absolutely everything in your home, we’re also not saying you should take moving photos of absolutely anything.

You need to take photos of things that actually matter, so that’s what we’re going to teach you to do. Before the movers arrive, you’ll want to have completed your photography session. Keep in mind you don’t need professional photography, just a decent camera that will capture the essence of what’s important.

So without further ado, whether you’ve got an expensive standalone camera or you’re equipped with a Smartphone, keep on reading to find out what to photograph before moving.

Snap Photos of Your Most Valuable Items

Even if you’ve done your homework, read all those reviews, and you have got yourself a highly rated moving company to help you move from your old property to your new one, accidents can and will definitely happen.

No matter how skilled the people are you’re paying, it’s going to be a good idea to take photos of your most valuable items if any of them are damaged during the moving process.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Pick out your most valuable items and take plenty of photos of them, including close-up images, so that you can get as much detail about the product as possible.

This should include things like; furniture, electric devices, appliances, and anything else you care plenty about.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: accidents can happen, so the obvious reason here is that these photos of your valuables, if they become damaged, can be used to prove that the damage occurred when the professionals were handling them.

With these photos, you’ll be in a position to be reimbursed by the moving company.

Document Existing Damage

As well as just taking pictures of your valuables, you should also make a note of any pre-existing damage, so you and the moving company can accurately tell what condition your valuables were in before the move.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Take your camera and document anything that appears to be damaged on your valuables, no matter how big or small.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: After the move is complete, you might find worse scratches or dents on your times - the ones which may have already had some damage before the move was even taken out.

If this were to happen, thanks to the fact that you have documented proof, the movers can’t just say that the damage was already there before they even laid their hands on your valuables.

Take Photos of Your Previous Rental.

If you’re renting an apartment or a house, we suggest that you never forget to take photos of the condition you’re leaving it in, just in case.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Obviously, you’re going to want to do something before you begin taking photos. Clean the whole property from top to bottom and do your best to repair any damages you may have caused during the time you have lived there.

When you’ve made sure everything is in the best possible condition it can be, then whip out your camera and begin taking photos of the whole thing in its now high-quality condition. With your photography in hand, you’ll now be armed with proof of condition if you need to later on.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Your landlord, unfortunately, may pocket your deposit by blaming you for any damages or charging you for unnecessary cleaning fees.

Although we’d like to think better of your landlord, this sort of thing really does happen, so you must document how the place looked before you left it. Taking photos before you give back your keys will be important to help protect yourself against this.

Take Photography of Your New Home.

While it’s important to document the condition of the property you’re leaving, it’s just as essential to document the condition of your new property on the day you move in.

Doing this will help you to avoid issues with your landlord later on.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: The exact second you step into your new property, you should take out your camera and begin to document its condition with plenty of photos so that you can prove that you did not cause any damage you find.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: As mentioned, this will help you prove that any damages you do find were not caused by you or anyone else moving into the home.

Doing so will allow you to avoid unfair accusations from your landlord.

Photograph Your Electrical Devices

Another thing that can you can do that will come in handy is to take photos of how your electronic devices are wired and hooked up.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Take photos of the back of your TVs, PCs, and anything else that has a lot of cables coming in and out of it. Make sure to take plenty of photos from different angles too.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: You will want to take photos of things like cables and wires just so you have a visual reference for when you get to your newest property, you will know how to set things up quickly.

Take Photos of Your Utility Meters Before and After

Another important thing to take photos of when you’re moving is your utility meters.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: It’s simple; take a photo of each of the utility meters’ readings, electrically, gas and water.

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT: Doing this will allow you to avoid unnecessary charges later on since utility companies tend to bill you based on the usage estimates.

Meaning that if your baseline reading is off, then so will be your estimated utility usage.

With photos, you can prove what they were before you left them home.

Not to mention that sometimes there can be lags or overlaps between you and the new homeowner, so making sure you have photos on hand means that you will not be paying unnecessary fees in the future.

Final Thoughts

Taking quality photography of your belongings will come in handy for numerous reasons, as outlined here. Make sure you take the time to follow our tips, and you’ll be in a much better position should a problem arise in the future.