Almost everyone knows that homeowner’s or renter’s insurance is important to have. However, have you created a home inventory yet? A lot of people don’t realize how important it is to have a home inventory on file. Documenting all of your possessions can make it easier to file an insurance claim should you ever need to. There are several ways to document the contents of your home and several benefits to doing so! We’ll walk you through the reasons to create one and the best ways to do it. 

What Is A Home Inventory?

A home inventory is a list of your possessions and what they’re worth. It should be as detailed as possible. Whenever you make a major purchase, such as a piece of furniture or an electronic device like a TV or video game system, keep the receipt or write down the price. Keep those receipts or records in one place (such as a folder or binder) so that you don’t lose track of them. It’s no use writing things down if you don’t know where to find them! 

What Should Be Included in a Home Inventory?

The short answer to this question is “almost everything.” You don’t need to catalog your earbuds, but you do need to catalog most of your possessions. Furniture, wall decor, electronics, appliances, even smaller things like clocks and the throw pillows on your couch. Basically, any permanent fixture in your home should be cataloged. There’s no need to catalog your bath products or other expendable things in your home, but don’t ignore the “small” things. Even the $5 clock you keep in your kitchen should be cataloged. 

How Should I Catalog My Home?

There are a few different ways to take a home inventory, and which one is “best” will depend on you and how you organize your life. One of the most common ways to take an inventory is by video. You can take a video on your phone while walking around your home and narrating your possessions (“This is the couch, I bought it in 2020 for $500…). If you choose to go the video route, make sure the video is safely stored. Don’t just keep it stored locally on your phone, in case you lose the contents of your phone someday. Make sure you upload it to a cloud and consider sending it to your spouse or another family member so that there’s more than one copy out there. The second way to catalog your possessions is through photographs. Again, make sure these photos are stored in several places. If you choose to take photos, be sure to label them with the name of the item and its estimated value. You can also simply write down the list of your items and their estimated value, but be specific. Write down serial numbers when possible- this will help ensure that your possessions are valued as accurately as possible.

Why Take a Home Inventory?

This may sound like a lot of work, and you might be wondering why you should do it in the first place. Simply put, it makes filing claims with your renter’s or home insurance much easier and can help you recover as much as possible after a disaster. If you’ve had a flood, fire, or other stressful events, it’s hard to remember exactly what was in your home. Having a home inventory list can take that weight off of your shoulders. Knowing the approximate value of all of your possessions can also help you purchase the correct level of protection when you’re looking for an insurance policy. 

Americon Restoration Can Help After a Disaster!

If you have a disaster that affects your home, contact Americon Restoration for help! We know you may have concerns about COVID-19 and we want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to keep our employees and our customers healthy and safe. As an essential business, we are still open to serve you. Americon Restoration is taking all necessary precautions before entering our customers’ homes. We want you and your family to feel safe and stay healthy! Please contact us through our website or by phone at (216) 221-5200.