Why You Should Photograph Everything Before Moving
Why a Photo Inventory Matters
If a mover damages your antique dining table and you have no proof of its pre-move condition, it becomes your word against theirs. A timestamped photo inventory eliminates this ambiguity entirely. Insurance companies, small claims courts, and the OPC all accept photographic evidence as the gold standard for damage claims in Quebec.
Beyond dispute resolution, a photo inventory helps you track what you own, speeds up unpacking by showing exactly what was in each box, and serves as a record for home insurance purposes. It takes about 30 minutes for a typical Montreal apartment — time well spent for potentially thousands of dollars in protection.
How to Photograph Your Belongings Effectively
Go room by room with your smartphone. Take wide-angle shots of each room first, then close-ups of individual items — especially furniture surfaces, electronics serial numbers and screens, artwork, and anything already showing wear. Photograph the inside of drawers and cabinets to document contents. Ensure your phone's timestamp and location settings are enabled so metadata proves when and where photos were taken.
For electronics, photograph serial numbers and model numbers on the back or bottom. For furniture, capture all sides, corners, and any existing scratches or imperfections. Open appliances and photograph their condition. Use a coin or ruler for scale when documenting small details. Take video walkthroughs as a supplement — they capture context that individual photos might miss.
Organizing and Storing Your Photo Inventory
Create a folder on your phone or computer labelled with the date and "Pre-Move Inventory." Organize sub-folders by room: kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. Back up everything to cloud storage — Google Photos, iCloud, or Dropbox — so you have access even if your phone is lost or damaged during the move.
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Pair your photos with a simple spreadsheet listing each item, its estimated value, and its condition. Email a copy of the inventory to yourself and a trusted contact so you have multiple backups with verifiable timestamps. This documentation package — photos, video, and written inventory — gives you the strongest possible position for any damage claim after your Montreal move.
