Make a Home Inventory Today, Before You Ever Need It
Walk through your home with your phone and record a video of every room, opening every closet, drawer and cabinet while you describe what you see. Take close-ups of serial numbers and valuables. Then save the video somewhere outside your house, like a cloud account, and redo it once a year. It takes about 30 minutes.
On the jobs we see, the families who recover fastest after a fire or flood are often the ones who can show their insurance company what they had. Trying to remember everything you own after you've lost it is hard. Recording it now, while everything is in front of you, is easy.
The 30-minute video walk-through
- Before you startCharge your phone, turn on the lights, and say the date out loud at the start of the video.
- Each roomStand in the doorway and slowly pan the whole room. Then walk around it clockwise.
- Open everythingClosets, drawers, cabinets, under the bed. Pan slowly. Grab a handful of clothes and show the labels on nicer pieces.
- Talk as you go"This is a Samsung TV, bought about 2022, around $700." Brand, age and price, if you know them.
- Close-upsSerial and model numbers on electronics and appliances, jewelry, art, collectibles, tools, and anything expensive.
- Don't forgetGarage, basement, attic, sheds, outdoor furniture, grills and holiday decorations.
Where to keep it
An inventory stored only on a computer in your house can burn or flood along with everything else. Keep at least one copy somewhere else:
- A cloud account such as Google Photos, iCloud, OneDrive or Dropbox.
- Email it to yourself.
- A USB drive kept at work or with a family member.
Extras that help a lot
- Receipts and manuals for big purchases. Snap a photo of the receipt and put it in the same folder.
- Appraisals for jewelry, art and collectibles. These often need special coverage, so ask your agent.
- Your policy's declarations page. Know your personal property limit and whether you have replacement cost or actual cash value coverage.
- Back up your family photos to the cloud too. Those are the things people most want back. See saving wet photos and papers for what to do if they do get damaged.
Keep it current
Put a yearly reminder on your calendar, for example when you change your smoke detector batteries, and record a new walk-through. After a big purchase, just add a quick clip.
Why it's worth 30 minutes
- Your claim can move faster because the proof already exists.
- You're less likely to forget items, and forgotten items are money you don't get back.
- You'll find out if your coverage is too low for what you actually own, before it matters.
The bottom line
Grab your phone this weekend, open every drawer, talk through what you see, and save the video somewhere off-site. It's the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.
General information only. Check with your insurance agent about coverage limits and documentation for valuable items.