How to Create a Basic Home Inventory

Yesterday I explained why creating at least a basic home inventory is a good idea. Here’s how you can actually do it:

One easy way is to use a camera or video recorder. It really doesn’t take long at all to photograph everything you own — especially if you’re not worried about cleaning up the house first. Remember, hopefully no one will ever need to see the photos. So just get up and start snapping (or videoing).

Open all the blinds to let in extra light, turn on all the lights, and use your flash. You’re not going for picture-perfect photos here, you’re going for well lit and clearly visible items.

Take things room by room. Shoot a photo of the room as a whole (if you can) or do a 360 degree video of it. Then shoot a photo of all of the major pieces of furniture. Next, open every cupboard and drawer in the room, and shoot a photo of the contents. Close them behind you as you shoot so you’ll know you didn’t miss any. If you have any items that are especially valuable, shoot individual photos of those. That’s it.

Do that for each room and you’re done for the year. (Update the photos at least annually.) Just put a reminder in your calendar so that you don’t forget.

And what do you do with all those photos or the video? Put them (along with any receipts or supporting documents) in your safe deposit box, or give them to a trusted friend or relative for safekeeping. The idea is to get them out of your house (or out of the area altogether if you live in a disaster-prone area.)

If you do need them in the event of a loss, you can pull them out and use the photos or video to make a written inventory that’s backed up by visuals.

View Comments (2)
  • Due to recent losses, I learned your lesson the hard way and ended up using free software made by the Insurance Information Institute. While they used to offer a downloadable version to keep on your computer, they now offer only an online version: http://www.knowyourstuff.org

    You can keep pictures, receipts, and all information digitally. It’s a pain to start, but once it’s complete, it’s been easy to update and keep on top of.

    Thanks for putting this info out there. Until you’ve had a loss, you wouldn’t ever think of it.

  • This is a smart idea for anyone and it will make things a lot easier when you have to submit a claim to your insurance company. To have a clear idea of what you have and the cost saves a lot of time and aggravation and it usually leads to a faster payout.
    Jerry

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