Create a home inventory
The devastation of a natural disaster or home burglary is traumatic, and getting your home back to together and belongings replaced can be a long process. That’s when a home inventory is priceless. Having a detailed inventory of your belongings can make the road to normalcy faster and easier.
While the process of creating a list of what you own can seem daunting, consider breaking it up into smaller steps—making an inventory of just one room or closet in your home at a time. Technology can also help, says UFG Assistant Vice President and Property Claims Manager Dean Walstrom.
“Be as detailed as possible. I recommend videotaping your personal property as well as documenting on a spreadsheet details such as model, brand, description, age, cost, form of payment and purchase location.”
Says Walstrom: “This itemization will help expedite the claims handling process as well as support ownership, financial interest and value of those items being claimed.”
- Begin the inventory with the most recent purchases. Work your way back to the older possessions.
- Use general categories when counting smaller items like tools, for example “4 hammers, 2 electric screw drivers, etc.”
- List the following for each item if applicable:
- Description
- Model or serial number
- Brand
- Quantity
- Age
- Cost
- Make special note of big ticket items like jewelry and art. Be sure you have documentation for any appraisals you’ve had done for these items.
- Don’t forget to inventory belongings kept in any off-site storage units, as these items would typically be covered by a home owners insurance policy.
- In addition to a video recording, create a photo record. Take pictures of whole rooms and individual items as well. Photograph more expensive items jewelry, china or silver individually.
- There are numerous online apps now available that can also make the process easier and the storage of the information simple.
- Keep all of your records off-site in a safe place. Digital video and photo records can also be stored in a cloud service such as Dropbox. Along with acting as a backup copy, it will also be easy to access if you’re away from home or unable to return to your home after a natural disaster.
An added bonus of creating a home inventory: making note of valuable items can serve as a reminder to contact your insurance agent about additional protection.* If you’re in the market for new homeowners insurance, find a UFG agent near you.
*All products not available in all states.