Home Inventory: Important Tips For Making One
Remember the days when you would make a checklist to go through your house and inventory what you have? It's hard to believe that, for most people, this is still a task on their to-do list.
But it will be just as valuable for your insurance claim as it was when you were an amateur adventurer years ago. And in case you are responsible for your family's security during what may be an emergency situation, this process will help fill out a safe location list so that everything can be turned off and they can leave the home without any worries.
So, let's look at some of the things you will need to make this impossible to forget.
For a checklist, you need a piece of paper. Yes, any old scrap of paper is all that's needed. An index card will work just as well. And if you aren't one to keep it on the fridge or send it home in an email, make sure this is a hard copy – pencil notations are difficult to read and can be confusing.
There are few things more important than being able to find your valuables so that they do not get turned into a fire starter for your next blaze and end up on someone else's list of items that they take off your hands later on.
So here is a list of what you will want to include:
Electronics – TV, DVD, DVR, sound system, stereo system (CD player/record player), radio/CD player/tape deck
Business related items – computer and peripherals (printer, scanner), files for home office
Medical supplies – inhalers or other medical devices for those with asthma or allergies
Kitchen supplies – blender or food processor; kitchen tools and cooking utensils (pots and pans)
Closet items – clothes, shoes, purses; blankets or linens
Garden tools and equipment; outdoor items – yard furniture and lawn decorations (fountains etc); patio furniture (umbrellas etc)
. Personal items and jewelry – wallets, checkbooks, credit cards
. Collectibles or mementos – photos; heirlooms; sports awards and related paraphernalia
. Miscellaneous household items – seasonal decorations, supplies for hamster cages etc., books (magazines)
If there are any other things you have that are of value that you've forgotten about, add them to the list. If you don't include it on the inventory list then there is a chance that it will be lost or damaged if your home is ever broken into or ravaged by a storm.
While you're making this list, scan through everything and make sure nothing has been hidden away in storage for too long and needs attention before it becomes unusable. If for some reason you don't have a scanner or a digital camera, take your list with you and have someone else make the inventory of what is in your home.
After scanning through all of the items, create categories for each item – electronics, business items, medicine, clothing and so on. This will help narrow down the items you need to list and organize them into more manageable groups.
Once you've finished with the paper copies, print off copies on computer printers or color copy/scanner if necessary. Make sure that whatever you are going to use to store the paper copies is fire-proof (labeled), lead-free (a sign on each page that says "This document may contain hazardous material. Do not incinerate. Do not store above [degrees] Celsius") and waterproof. A zip-lock bag or something similar would work well for this – you can even print them out a second time, slide the pages into a plastic sleeve and tape it shut.
Another thing you might want to consider is keeping a copy with your other important documents and somewhere safe in your home – but in a different place than where your valuables are being kept. This would be something that you keep with important papers that cannot be replaced – birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports etc. This way if the location of your valuables is ever compromised, you would have proof that your personal information is safe.
While putting this printout in a safe place, you can cross off any items that are already listed on the security checklist created earlier. Now take a moment to review all the papers and make sure nothing was forgotten – any paper with several versions of the same information needs to be scanned and saved in one file so that it can be easily retrieved if needed.
Home Inventory Checklist:
. Important documents – birth certificates, passports, marriage certificates, major credit cards; insurance documents (home, auto etc.); wills
. Household items – food, water, medications, cleaning supplies; furniture, lamps and lights, games and toys; small appliances – toasters etc.
. Business related items – computer equipment (printers etc), fax machines; business journals and directories; software programs for home office
. Contractors – electricians, mechanics etc.; cleaning services; construction equipment dealers (for repair and maintenance)
. Insurance documents (personal insurance policies and property insurance policies)
. Securities documents/certificates of deposit/savings bonds/tax records
. Hazardous materials – chemicals or other dust or powders, flammables or liquids
. Jewelry and accessories
. Artwork – framed pictures, sculptures and other collectibles
. Bulk foods – rice, beans, sugar; can goods/jars of food
. Clothing
Again, make sure that everything is cross-referenced so all the different inventories can be easily referenced at one glance and everything is recorded in one place. Keep a copy of all the documents in your secure location as well as an extra copy stored elsewhere for long term storage. If possible get a photo copy done with as many pictures taken of everything as you can manage.
After you've been doing this for a while, it can become second nature so that the whole process is carried out quickly and efficiently.
While you have some items, like birth certificates or passports, that are worth their weight in gold, other things are much less important. What you will want to do is have a list of things that you keep in your car – while this list is very short when compared to the list of valuables that are kept at home they could be vital for your safety if they were ever stolen or vandalized by thieves looking for something to sell on the black market.
Conclusion
One of the most important things to remember is that keeping a home inventory is not something that you should do as a one-time thing. It should be an ongoing part of your daily routine. Your home inventory list needs to be regularly updated, and items need to be checked off and rechecked so that any problems can be dealt with immediately. A home inventory list will have a direct impact on how well you can protect your family and keep them safe.
If you are ever involved in an accident, fire or burglary where someone else's property is damaged – even slightly – you will need proof of what was there before the incident occurred.