A home content inventory is necessary so you can be reimbursed by your insurance company and sure you're carrying enough coverage. Knowing what is in your home will help ensure you’ve got the right limits in place to protect everything in the event of a covered loss or damage.

“You should take inventory of everything you have,” InsuraMatch insurance agent Seth advises. He notes, “Technology has made this much easier, you can use the camera on your smartphone to document everything you own. There are even apps you can use to take an inventory. The important thing is that your inventory list is stored in a safe place outside of your home or in the cloud. This way, no matter what happens, you’ll always have access to it if you need to file a claim.”

As Seth says, if you have a smartphone or digital camera, the inventory process can be pretty easy.

Follow these steps to take an inventory of your personal property for your homeowners insurance:

  • To start, you'll need your phone or camera. Make sure that you have enough space to record a video before you begin.
     
  • OR you can download an inventory app, like one of these. Creating an inventory on your own is pretty simple, but going this route may be easier if you're not sure where to start or what exactly to record!
     
  • While recording, walk through your home room by room, documenting the personal property in each room. Don’t forget to go through items in closets and drawers, as well the items in your garage, basement and attic. As they say, out of sight, out of mind - but this is not a good time to miss something big!
     
  • If you have the information available, record each item’s value at the time of purchase, as well as copies of any receipts or serial numbers. This will help verify the value of your items with your insurer.
     
  • Take note of any rare or valuable items you have in your home. These may not be fully covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy, so you'll want to review them with your insurance agent to see if you need supplemental coverage. Items like jewelry, antiques, and collectibles often require supplemental insurance.
     
  •  Once you’ve covered all the rooms in your home, save your inventory in a secure location. This location should be outside your home, somewhere like an account in the Cloud is a perfect spot, since it is accessible from any device. This will ensure that your inventory does not get lost or damaged if something happens to or in your home

By taking note of what you have, you can work with your insurance agent to make sure your homeowners insurance will cover everything. It will also bring items that may be excluded from your policy to your attention, so you can review how to cover those items with your agent.