Your new home from Hartz Homes has just been completed. Now, comes the task of moving in, putting everything in its place and deciding how you will organize your new surroundings. This includes finding a new spot for your important documents. Don’t overlook this important step, or you could be searching everywhere for important paperwork that was misplaced.
Golden Rule: Just have one safe place
It’s important to only have ONE place for all your important documents. While, you may not remember all the paperwork you stored away, you will remember where to look for it. It doesn’t really matter where you keep them, as long as you have one place you always know to look for them.
What should you store in your safe place?
Even though this is the digital age, you still should store hard copies of certain documents. This includes:
- Passports
- Titles and deeds
- Wills, power of attorney, trusts
- Legal documents
- Birth certificates and SSN cards
- Marriage, divorce, and other certificates
- Bonds and other banking items
You may also consider storing passwords and credit card numbers here too.
Here are 5 tips to help you always know where your most important documents are in your new home:
- All in One Location – Find one location or container to keep all of your most important documents. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. It can be a simple box or filing container. As an added tip, choose something that stands out from the clutter. You always want to know where it is. My important papers container is a unique color, so I always notice it.
- Keep Them Safe – Keep your important papers file in a safe place. It should be separate from your normal every day files. Don’t store it in a conspicuous place where it might be taken with other valuables. For more protection, use a fire-safe box to protect your papers from unforeseen events.
- Eliminate the Clutter – Be very selective about what goes in your important papers collection. There are very few documents that truly need to be in there. For example, receipts and other simple documents should be in their own filing cabinet. Think of your important papers as those that are “Top Secret” or non-replaceable. Most people should be able to get by with a single box of important papers.
- Digitize What You Can – Your important papers box should only be for documents that must be in hard copy. For documents that don’t explicitly need to be paper, scan them to your digital library.
- Always Return Them – When you are finished using an important document, make sure that you put it back as soon as you are done with it. Don’t place it on a countertop or other location. Always put it immediately back in your one place.
We hope you enjoy your new home. And, we hope you enjoy the peace of mind in knowing where your most important documents are in your new home.
Please check out these new home communities from Hartz Homes:
Armitage Pointe of Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bella Vista Townhomes of Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Heather Glen of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Hibernia of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lago Vista of Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Leigh Creek of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Manchester Cove of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marquis Pointe of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Marywood Meadows of Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Nantucket Lakes of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oliviabrook of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Park West of Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Playa Vista of Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Sky Harbor of New Lenox, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Whisper Creek of Mokena, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Hartz Homes has new home communities in:
Addison, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Aurora, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Lockport, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
New Lenox (Chicago area new home construction)
Manteno, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Montgomery, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Plainfield, Illinois (Chicago area new home construction)
Oakbrook Terrace (Chicago area new home construction)