Every home needs a home inventory updated at least once a year. Homeowners who
live in hurricane stricken areas like Florida, coastal regions of Alabama or
Louisiana and Texas are used to putting together a home inventory on a regular
basis, but for those homeowners who live in the Midwest or in regions of the
country without hurricane season abounding, they may think there is no need for
a home inventory. This just is not the case! No matter what part of the country
you live in, a home inventory is a must have because fire, flood, and wind or
tornado damage as well as theft or lost property can happen to anyone at any
time. Not having your home inventoried can make the process of dealing with
insurance agents an absolute nightmare, especially if you are trying to
visualize from memory everything that was lost, damaged or stolen in your home
while speaking to an insurance agent on the phone. The best bet for making sure
your household goods are replaced to the fullest extent, is to keep some type of
home inventory to help better replace these items. There are several different
ways to inventory the belongings in a home. Of course one of the easiest ways to
inventory items is to get a notebook and pen and walk from room to room writing
down anything that would or should be replaced in case of damage or loss.
Inventorying items this way can be time consuming, but allows for everything in
the room to be examined and approximate values to be determined, which should be
included on an inventory list. The next step up from pen and paper would be to
write the home inventory on a Microsoft excel spreadsheet or simply in a
Microsoft Word file. If the means are available for more hi-tech versions of
inventorying home items, this is probably the best option. Simply turn the date
and time stamp on the 35mm or digital camera and go from room to room taking
pictures of each room, labeling the pictures with item information once the
pictures have been developed. Many homeowners also use video cameras to go
around the house recording what each room looks like at a certain time and date.
This is a great way to get a live action shot of what the material items look
like at present and can easily be handed over to an insurance company. A few
tips to keep in mind when creating an inventory is to always keep receipts for
major purchases and store these with the home inventory. The more you can
estimate for the Homeowners insurance company the price and date an item was
paid for, the more likely a price near that cost will be given back for
repayment. If possible, it is also best to write down where the item was
purchased at, the model number and a manufacturer's name. As well, it is
important to always note the date and time on the inventory, and this is why
using a still or video camera is a great idea. Although the Homeowners insurance
company is supposed to be on the side of the insured, they will be estimating
costs at a minimum to save themselves money. So be smart about a home inventory,
so that items will be replaced at full cost and in a timely manner. Remember
that it is not necessary to inventory items that would not be missed if they are
lost or damaged, such as a paperback novel or a $10 pair of flip-flops, but if
you are a book collector who has an extensive collection of antique books or a
shoe collector who has hundreds of dollars worth of shoes, be sure to inventory
these items. Of course large items like furniture, artwork, appliances,
electronics, large sports equipment, and large outdoor equipment should
absolutely be inventoried. It is probably wise to also inventory or at least
photograph clothes, home interior accessories, tool sets, kitchenware, and even
workout equipment, but the major rule of thumb is to know the value of your own
personal property to determine if it is worth adding to a home inventory list.
After the home inventory is created it should be placed somewhere other than the
home. This could be stored at a family member or neighbor's home, although the
safest place for a home inventory list is in a safety deposit box or a fire and
flood proof security box.About the Author Credit: Ian W Anderson of
homeownersinsurance.cc, the homeowners insurance information site. For more
homeowners insurance information and articles like this one visit: Homeowners
Insurance
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