Key Maintenance Plan - Tip #20

Do a Home Inventory (sourced various websites)

“A home inventory is beneficial because it gives homeowners and insurers a clear picture of how many items are in a home and how much it would cost to replace them in the event of a natural disaster,” says Michael Barry, a spokesperson at the industry-sponsored Insurance Information Institute, based in New York City.

Using your smartphone’s video feature, sweep the camera around a room, narrating the description of items you’re filming and—if you remember—what you paid. (Photograph receipts if you have them.) Capture serial numbers and brand names when possible so that the insurer can replace what you had with exact or similar items.

Once you’ve cataloged the pricier items for your home inventory, open cabinets, drawers, closets, and boxes and do the same. But don’t sweat the small stuff too much. An insurance adjuster is likely to create a “bulk estimate” of those things—for example, $200 for everything in your utility closet, insurers told us.

Store the images and video for your home inventory on a cloud service, or put it on a thumb drive and stash it in a safe deposit box or fireproof safe.

If you want help with doing a Home Inventory – call, or text us at 224-300-0672 or email us at info@myhomeexpertinc.com