I don’t know about you, but my family has accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Stuff I wish they would get rid of…but that’s another story. If there was a catastrophe loss at my home, I don’t know how I would inventory everything without seeing it there in front of me. So before anything bad happens it best to have an inventory done, and I elected to do it by video, but see below for other ways that may work for you and your family.
Make an organized list of all your possessions. You can separate items by category or by room. You could start with all your clothes, and split them up into pants, shirts, etc. You can also go one room at a time! Be sure to write down the category, the name of the item, when and where you bought it, and a detailed description of the item. If you have receipts from any of your items, collect them and keep them with your inventory.
Get your most valuable items, like jewelry, appraised. They may have increased in value!
A quicker and less overwhelming way to take inventory is by taking pictures or walking around your home with a tape recorder or video camera. Though a written list is much easier to reference, a video is a great starting point!
Keep a copy of your list or video on your own computer, but be sure to have copies elsewhere too, like at a friend or relative’s home or in the cloud. This protects the inventory from being destroyed should a catastrophe occur.
