Most people spend the majority of their time packing and organizing their household belongings for a move, but what about keeping up with important paperwork? We all tend to collect large amounts of paperwork over the years and this can be tricky when it comes to changing homes. Moving to a new house is a chaotic process and it’s easy for important documents to get misplaced. That’s why it is crucial to have a plan in place for keeping paperwork organized during the transition. Here are some helpful tips to keep your important papers organized throughout your relocation so you can easily find them.

Get Supplies

The first step in organizing your paperwork is gathering the right supplies. Instead of boxes and packing paper, paperwork requires binders, paper clips, folders, and sticky notes. Make sure you are well stocked with these basic supplies before moving on.

Gather Your Documents

Now you will need to go around your home and collect any paperwork or documents that you may have. You want to start preparing these documents well in advance, as it can sometimes be a time consuming process to retrieve and organize all of them. Here are some of the most common documents and paperwork you might have:

• Personal ID Documents: birth certificates, passports, social security cards, driver’s licenses, marriage certificate or divorce certificate

   

• Professional licenses, degrees, certificates: any documents pertaining to licensing, professional degrees, job-related certifications, or letters of reference

   

• Moving Documents: written estimates, receipts, moving-related documents (checklists, moving calendars, packing timelines, home inventory, customized lists)

• Property-related Documents: selling and buying agreements, mortgage documents, lease contracts, insurance policies, auto insurance cards, registration documents for vehicles

• Financial Documents: credit cards and statements, bills, bank statements, income tax paperwork, tax receipts, tax deduction bills

• Medical Records: any medical paperwork as well as veterinary paperwork for pets

• School Records and transcripts

• Warranties, Receipts, Manuals for Appliances and Electronics

How to Organize Your Documents for Moving

Once you have all of your paperwork in one place it’s time to make a filing system. Start by sorting all of the documents into groups such as Personal, Medical, Household, and Financial. Then, clip together papers that go together and put them in a file that is clearly labeled. You can make subgroups within each folder and label those with sticky notes. You can also place these documents in separately labeled binders as well. Once you have gathered all of your documents and organized them into folders or binders you should place all folders in a plastic file folder crate or a plastic bin with a lid. Label the box and keep those documents with you during the moving process. Do not let that box get packed inside a moving truck where it could easily get lost or damaged. Having your documents in order will ensure that you do not lose important paperwork and you will easily be able to locate documents if needed.