A moving inventory is a list of what you're taking — ideally with a photo, a box number, and the destination room for each item. You make one so you can prove what shipped, catch anything that goes missing, and unpack without opening every box to find one thing.
If a mover loses or damages something, a claim needs a record of what you handed over and its condition. Photos taken before the truck arrives are that record.
A box count and item list is how you catch the box that didn't come off the truck — before the movers drive away, not a week later when it's harder to resolve.
Knowing which box holds what, and which room it belongs in, turns unpacking from a scavenger hunt into a checklist.
Seeing everything listed out is the moment you realize what isn't worth the truck space. Cataloging and decluttering go together.
Photograph items while they're still out and visible — especially anything valuable or fragile. Once it's boxed and taped, documenting it means opening it back up.
For electronics, furniture, and anything breakable, a photo that shows current condition is your evidence if it arrives damaged. Capture serial numbers on high-value items.
Give each box a number and the room it's going to. Record roughly what's inside against that number so the list maps to the pile at the other end.
Track the total. On delivery, count boxes against the list before you sign anything — that's the moment a shortage is easiest to raise.
Work through the list as boxes are opened. Anything that doesn't turn up is flagged early, while a claim is still straightforward.
Prefer a spreadsheet? Our free home inventory template has columns for the item, its value, a location, and notes — add a box number in the notes column and it doubles as a moving list.
Get the template →Photographing a whole house before a move is the tedious part. Myne speeds it up: snap a photo of an item and it identifies what it is and estimates a value, so your moving inventory builds itself as you pack. Assign each item to a space, and you have a map of where everything is meant to end up. It also works offline — handy in a half-packed house with the router already boxed.
For the fundamentals, see the complete home inventory guide.
Photograph as you pack and Myne catalogs each item and its destination room. Free to start, works offline.