10 Steps to Creating a Home Inventory
We purchase homeowners insurance because it's required for home loans.
We all think that insurance is the only thing we need to have to safeguard our belongings.
What we don't realize is the work we have to do if our house burns down or we get burglarized.
Insurance companies require a detailed list of everything that is destroyed or stolen so we can get it replaced.
Going through everything after it is charred or destroyed can be tedious and dangerous.
If you follow these steps you can help safeguard your belongings.
1.
Gather essential equipment.
This will be a camcorder, digital camera, notepad, flashlight, and pen.
2.
Do a quick video recording of your house starting with the outside.
Make sure you record the address numbers.
Go room to room and record the basic layout of your house.
This gives the viewer a good idea of where things are located.
3.
Start with the living room and write down each item that you own.
Start with large items like televisions and furniture.
Be sure to write down the brand, model number, and serial number if applicable.
Write down an estimated purchased price and the date purchased.
4.
Take pictures of each item as you write it down.
You can simplify the process by taking pictures of sets together, like plate sets or silverware sets.
5.
Go room to room using the above process.
6.
When you are finished writing everything down, organize it on a computer.
You can create your own document in Word or purchase a home inventory program for a few hundred bucks.
7.
Save your finished product to a disc or flash drive.
8.
Store the flash drive in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box.
It won't be any good to you if it gets destroyed in a fire or if it's stolen by a burglar.
9.
Update your inventory as you purchase new items or get rid of old items.
Doing an update once a year is good.
10.
Hire an inventory service if you don't have the time or want to bother with doing it yourself.
Inventory Specialists are good at paying attention to detail and can usually be hired for a nominal fee.
Hopefully you take the time to follow these steps and safeguard your belongings.
You can save thousands of dollars by completing an inventory of your home.
Are you ready if disaster strikes?
We all think that insurance is the only thing we need to have to safeguard our belongings.
What we don't realize is the work we have to do if our house burns down or we get burglarized.
Insurance companies require a detailed list of everything that is destroyed or stolen so we can get it replaced.
Going through everything after it is charred or destroyed can be tedious and dangerous.
If you follow these steps you can help safeguard your belongings.
1.
Gather essential equipment.
This will be a camcorder, digital camera, notepad, flashlight, and pen.
2.
Do a quick video recording of your house starting with the outside.
Make sure you record the address numbers.
Go room to room and record the basic layout of your house.
This gives the viewer a good idea of where things are located.
3.
Start with the living room and write down each item that you own.
Start with large items like televisions and furniture.
Be sure to write down the brand, model number, and serial number if applicable.
Write down an estimated purchased price and the date purchased.
4.
Take pictures of each item as you write it down.
You can simplify the process by taking pictures of sets together, like plate sets or silverware sets.
5.
Go room to room using the above process.
6.
When you are finished writing everything down, organize it on a computer.
You can create your own document in Word or purchase a home inventory program for a few hundred bucks.
7.
Save your finished product to a disc or flash drive.
8.
Store the flash drive in a fireproof safe or safety deposit box.
It won't be any good to you if it gets destroyed in a fire or if it's stolen by a burglar.
9.
Update your inventory as you purchase new items or get rid of old items.
Doing an update once a year is good.
10.
Hire an inventory service if you don't have the time or want to bother with doing it yourself.
Inventory Specialists are good at paying attention to detail and can usually be hired for a nominal fee.
Hopefully you take the time to follow these steps and safeguard your belongings.
You can save thousands of dollars by completing an inventory of your home.
Are you ready if disaster strikes?
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