Your home is precious to you in and of itself, but arguably the possessions in it are more valuable, right? Well, to make sure that you can protect that value, a home inventory is going to be among the best ways that you can protect your investment. Why? Because whether you like it or not, we can never predict when a disaster is going to strike.
A home inventory is a master list noting what you have and how much it’s worth so that, in the event you should ever have to file a claim, all of the hard and sometimes impossible work is done ahead of time! It saves you time, brainpower, and a whole lot of emotional and mental stress. The good news is that it isn’t as hard to do as you might think.
Start with the most valuable items and work your way back
Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff in your home that you need to put into your inventory? Take a breath and prioritize. Start with those crucial, valuable pieces first and then work your way back from there. For example, do your high-end jewelry and expensive artwork before you tackle your closet. Not only will it mean that you’ve got the most expensive things cataloged no matter what, but you can also learn how to do it gradually. This will help ease you into the whole process. Or, if you are feeling ambitious, just pick a room and document everything in it and go from there.
Be as detailed as possible and use technology to your advantage
You’ll want to get all of those important details down on record, which can be tricky. For example, serial numbers, the price paid with a receipt as well, a description of it that you can use to remember it, and more. If you don’t want to manually type it all in or write it all out by hand and meticulously scan records, use technology! A video log is a great option to get up-close footage of those items and you can use that to record the serial number. It also saves you from having to do a description. As far as receipts go, most cameras and tablets allow you to scan them right into your phone for fuss-free record keeping.
Back up/Photocopy your more important documents
Anything important (marriage license, insurance paperwork, birth certificates, wills, etc) should be backed up with photocopies and/or virtual records and put on a flash drive. Since those are the things that you can’t get back and often require, this should be a priority as well.
Back up your inventory
A home inventory is only good if you’ve got access to it! Make sure you either photocopy it and have a copy with your agent or a friend, and/or back it up on a memory stick and possibly even the cloud.
Consult with your agent
Need help making your inventory or tips on how to make it a little less labor-intensive? Your insurance agent can help! See what they recommend for easier logging.
A home inventory is one of those things that you think is a waste of time until you actually need it. Do the work now and take a load off if the time should ever come for you to have to need it. We hope that you will never need it but contact Paula Smith Insurance should you have any questions about homeowners insurance, potential claims, flood insurance and more. We are only a phone call away at (281) 488-8880.