Home Inventory Made Simple

A house fire is traumatic enough. Not having a good record of your belongings can only add to the misery. Keeping a home inventory of the items you have and their values will help you when the rebuilding starts. There are free downloads available from the Insurance Information Institute to serve as a guide to homeowners in order to have record after a loss. A few simple steps can help when taking inventory:

Don't put it off. Start with new items and their value, and then try to remember older items. An incomplete inventory is better than nothing at all.

Use your camera. Take pictures or video of your home and write down descriptions to go with it.

Keep it safe. Be sure to keep the inventory in a secure place, such as a fire box or safe deposit box.