You can't rely on your memory. Especially if you're under the stress of having lost all or part of your home.
In order to replace all of your belongings, you'll need to be able to tell the insurance company what you're missing. To come up with a detailed inventory of what you had in order to process a claim, is a daunting task when you're in crisis.
Consumer Reports has a fairly simple way to handle it. Financial Experts at Consumer Reports say one of the best ways to document your belongings for insurance purposes, is with a video. It doesn’t have to be complicated, you can even use the camera on your phone.
MAKING A HOME INVENTORY VIDEO
Try to capture everything you own. Opening closets, cabinets and drawers, describing what you see as you record.
Be sure to include what’s in your bookcase, art that’s hanging on the walls, and major appliances. And, capture brand names and serial numbers, so your insurer can replace what you had with exact - or similar items.
Focus on what’s valuable. You can skip the cleaning supplies in a closet, for instance. An insurance adjuster is likely to create a ‘bulk estimate’ for those things anyway.
Then, put the video onto a thumb drive and upload it into the cloud or stash it in a safe place, so it’s there when you need it.
Greensboro Police have a Home Inventory Checklist to help you out. Even if you don't live in the city-- you can use this as a guide.
And check out the Insurance Information Institute FREE App You can do the inventory online-- or on your smart phone.
Their home page walks you through making the list using their software. But if you get the app on your phone you can snap a picture, fill out a few details and it's done--right in the palm of your hand!
SHOULD YOU REGISTER YOUR EVERYDAY PRODUCTS?
With all the new things you're getting, you may wonder, "Do I need to register all the products that are everyday kinds of things like coffee makers, vacuums, etc."?
The registration card may come with a few benefits. According to Consumer Reports, the benefits of filling out the registration cards: the company has your name, contact information, the product model and serial number if the product gets recalled.
On the down side: the registration cards usually ask you a lot of questions about your income, your education and your hobbies. None of which really matters to your use of the product but could end up filling your in-box with ads from companies who now know this info.