Whether you’re a homeowner or renter, it’s imperative to have an insurance policy in place to protect not only your home itself, but the items in it in the event that an accident occurs.

Your home (and everything in it) is one of the most important assets in your life. It’s crucial to have a plan in place in case disaster strikes, and creating a home inventory is a perfect starting point!

What Is a Home Inventory?

Simply put, a home inventory is a list of all your belongings, especially valuables, that are in and around your home. When it comes to creating one, keep in mind that the more detail there is, the better.

How you choose to create and store your home inventory is up to you, however three of the most popular kinds of home inventories include:

• Written inventory – Whether it’s written on a piece of paper or listed on a spreadsheet or filled-out checklist, a written inventory allows you to go into as much detail as necessary when describing your belongings.
• Digital inventory – As technology has evolved, so have home inventories! There are home inventory apps (both free and paid options available) that allow you to take a photo of all your items while including a brief description of each.
• Visual inventory – For those not interested in writing, video walk-throughs not only help determine proof of ownership, but allows you to have a visual record of your belongings and descriptions of the items all in one.

By creating a home inventory through one of these methods, you’re able to submit a detailed and comprehensive list of what you lost to your insurance agent, which might help you with your coverage and overall claim.

Why Do You Need a Home Inventory?

It doesn’t matter if you own your home or rent from someone else — home inventories can benefit everyone.

You never know when a disaster might strike, whether it’s a fire, flood, burglary, or something else. Regardless of which stressful event might have occurred, you’ll need to file a claim to your insurance company afterward, which involves submitting a list of everything that was lost.

It’s probably close to impossible to remember all the items you own when you’re not in a stressful situation. Now imagine trying to do so when you’re still mentally reeling from a robbery, extreme weather, or fire damage.

A home inventory is an essential asset for you and your family to have and maintain. After creating one, you can have peace of mind knowing that if something were to happen to your home, not only is the entire house protected, but you’ll know what needs to be replaced and can do so quickly.

Your home inventory can also greatly benefit you when during discussions with your insurance company. Having a list that shows specific details about the items you own, such as when and where they were purchased, how much you paid, etc., might speed up your insurance claim and maximize your claim payment because you won’t have forgotten any items. It also serves as a credible verification to your insurance company of the value of your losses.

What Are Some Tips and Tricks for Creating One?

There’s no perfect way to create a home inventory. Some of the best ones include photos of the items, descriptions of when and where the item was purchased, the value of the item, and what you paid for it. It’s okay if you don’t have these details for every item, but as we mentioned earlier, the more detail, the better!

Some other important things to keep in mind when creating a home inventory:

• Start early – Whether you’re moving to a different home or you’re a new homeowner altogether, starting your home inventory early will greatly benefit you in the long run.
• Stay up to date – Remove items when you get rid of them and add new items right after you purchase them.
• Do one area at a time – Pick a room to start in and focus on one section before moving on to the next. This will help keep you on track.
• Organize by item type – Section off the inventory not only by room, but category as well, i.e. electronics, linens, clothing, etc.
  • Pro tip: To save time, count clothing by general categories rather than listing out each item individually (ex: six pairs of jeans, four pairs of sneakers, etc.). However, remember to note valuable, expensive, or irreplaceable pieces.
• Don’t feel overwhelmed – At the end of the day, creating a home inventory is a way to help yourself in case anything happens to your home. While it can be stressful, you’ll thank yourself later.

If you’re looking to learn more about the importance of home inventories or trying to find out what insurance companies are the best fit for you and your family, look no further than Gambale Insurance Group. Located in Stuart, FL, we specialize in home insurance because we understand that many individuals’ biggest asset is their home.

Rather than researching “independent insurance companies near me,” contact us today! Our team is ready to assist you with all your insurance needs.