A home inventory is a written record of all the items that your home contains. Why would you even need such a listing? A home inventory comes in pretty handy in case of burglary or fire when your insurance company asks for a record of your possessions that were damaged or stole. Without such a record, you are likely to forget what you own. You could save yourself time, money and stress if you have an updated personal inventory of your household items.
Not only does such an inventory aid in filing a claim but also helps you prepare for a residential move. In this way, you would be clear of what items need to packed and what need to be discarded. Software available in the market helps in creating a home inventory pretty easily. You can even do so with a simple spreadsheet program which includes columns for the name and description of each item, the quantity and model, purchase date, time of purchase, original cost and estimated current value.
How To Create A Home Inventory?
Go Room By Room
Take one room at a time and list all the items it contains from high value items to furniture and carpeting, from electronics to items placed in cupboards and cabinets. All the valuable items such as electronics and appliances should have receipts, appraisals or serial numbers.
Click Away Or Make A Video
You could even add pictures to your belongings or even make a videotape of what you own. This would give a better idea about the exact nature and condition of the items. A video would give you the ability to zoom in on brands and serial numbers. The picture and videotape will even include the date and time so that you can value the items at any time. Not only do you get to capture what is inside the house, you can take your digital camera and create a photographic inventory of outdoor items such as bicycles, porting goods and storage shed items.
Create An Online Backup
One you have created your home inventory, you need to create an online backup incase your computer is damaged. Apart from online storage, you can even have hard copies stored in a location off premises. This hard copy could include lists, receipts, videotapes, printouts and photographs.
It is important that you update your inventory every 4 to 6 months and add any new items that you have added to your home. Moreover, you should also delete those items that are no longer in your possession.
How Does The Home Inventory Help In Preparing For A Move?
A move requires you to pack all the items in your home securely so that nothing is lost or damaged. An inventory list would greatly help in the move since you would have a clear idea of what needs to be packed and what needs to be discarded. A home inventory thus helps plan a realistic moving schedule.