Protecting belongings during a move takes more than careful wrapping. You need to protect the item, clear the path it will travel, and preserve a record that shows its condition before pickup and after delivery.
This guide follows that complete sequence. It will help you identify likely damage, pack for the way each item can fail, prepare both homes, inspect the shipment, and act quickly if something arrives missing or damaged.
Begin with the belongings most likely to suffer a costly loss
Walk through the home before packing and list fragile, heavy, high-value, unusually shaped, moisture-sensitive, and hard-to-replace items. Include televisions, computers, artwork, mirrors, glass furniture, musical instruments, antiques, stone tops, exercise equipment, large appliances, and furniture with loose parts or delicate finishes.
Photograph each important item from several angles in good light. Capture existing scratches, model and serial numbers, and any appraisal or receipt that helps establish identity and value. For an interstate move, review the mover’s inventory as it is created and ask for corrections before signing when a condition code or item count is wrong.
Pack for the way the item can be damaged
Start with the likely force instead of wrapping everything the same way. A scratch needs a clean surface layer. An impact needs cushioning around the vulnerable area. Crushing requires a rigid carton and sound stacking. Vibration requires empty space to be filled. Moisture requires dry materials and suitable protection. A loose shelf, cord, bolt, or door needs to be removed or secured.
Use the original packaging and fitted inserts for electronics when they are still sound. Follow manufacturer instructions for appliances, clocks, printers, instruments, and other sensitive equipment. Keep jewelry, medicines, passports, financial papers, keys, and irreplaceable small valuables with you rather than in the household shipment. Review what movers cannot or should not carry before closing boxes.
Know who is packing each item
Ask the mover in writing how customer-packed cartons are treated if contents are damaged but the exterior box is intact. A professional packing service can be valuable for dishes, artwork, electronics, and complex pieces, but it still deserves a clear inventory and condition record. If the mover packs, identify high-value and unusual items before the crew arrives and confirm any required crates or specialty cartons.
If you pack, use sound cartons that close flat and do not exceed the printed load rating. Place dense items in smaller boxes, fill empty space, and label the room, contents, fragile status, and upright direction. The complete supplies checklist helps match cartons, paper, tape, blankets, and surface protection to the job.
Prepare the route before anyone lifts
Measure the item and every doorway, turn, stairwell, elevator, gate, and loading entrance it must pass. Remove rugs, cords, low lamps, clutter, pets, and anything that narrows the path. Protect floors, corners, railings, elevator walls, and doors with materials approved by the property. Reserve elevators and loading areas, confirm building hours, and tell the mover about long carries, stairs, tight streets, or a required smaller truck.
Use pickup to complete the condition record
Be present or appoint a trusted adult for loading. Walk through the inventory with the crew lead, point out fragile and high-value items, and resolve condition disagreements before the item leaves. Keep copies of the estimate, order for service, bill of lading, inventory, valuation selection, high-value declaration, and contact information.
Do not climb into the truck or direct unsafe lifting. The crew controls loading technique and weight placement. Your job is to make the inventory accurate, keep the route clear, answer questions, and photograph any visible event or new property damage. Complete a final room-by-room walk-through before the truck departs.
Moveline’s U.S. agent network is responsible for more than one million moves each year, giving its team extensive experience with packing, estimates, pickup, transportation, delivery, and claims handoffs.
Inspect while the delivery record is still open
At delivery, use the mover’s inventory to count items as they enter. Direct each piece to a clear inspection area or destination room. Look first at cartons with crushed corners, punctures, water marks, torn seams, or broken seals, then inspect furniture, electronics, mirrors, art, and other important pieces. Compare them with the pickup photos.
Write missing inventory numbers and visible damage on the delivery documents before signing. Take clear photos of the item, its inventory label, the carton, packing material, and the surrounding area. Read any statement above the signature line and request a copy of everything you sign. A delivery notation is useful evidence, but it is not the entire written claim.
Use the first 30 minutes after discovering damage well
If urgent work is needed to prevent injury or further property damage, document the condition first when it is safe, save receipts, and keep replaced parts. Use email or another saved written channel for follow-up. Record the date, time, person, and substance of every phone conversation.
File a complete written claim promptly
For an interstate move, FMCSA says a customer has nine months from delivery to file a loss or damage claim. The mover has 30 days to acknowledge receipt and 120 days to decide whether it will offer a settlement. Do not wait for those outer deadlines: ask the mover for its form, complete it, and submit a specific amount for each missing or damaged item with photos, inventory numbers, receipts, appraisals, repair estimates, or replacement evidence.
The signed valuation choice affects how the claim is valued. Keep originals and send copies unless the process specifically requires otherwise. Save proof of submission. If the claim remains unresolved, review the mover’s arbitration information and the remedies described in FMCSA’s consumer materials. FMCSA can receive complaints about interstate movers, but it does not decide the amount owed in a private loss-and-damage claim.
