Home Inventory Made Easierby Katie & Gene Hamilton Spring 2006 Issue

The CIGville community is grateful to Katie and Gene Hamilton, authors of the home-improvement book Fix It and Flip It, for allowing CIGville the privilege of including the following article for the benefit of our readers. The article currently appears in the "Home" section of AmericanProfile.com. Few, if any of us, remember everything we own, and this is the perfect time to create an inventory, leaving one less thing to worry about.

 
Taking a household inventory can be made much easier with the use of a digital camera and home-inventory software for your computer

Anyone who has experienced a property loss and had to make an insurance claim knows how important it is to document their possessions. An inventory is a record of what you own with a description of the articles and their value. While the task of taking a household inventory may seem daunting, the process can be made much easier with the use of a digital camera and home-inventory software for your computer.

A digital camera helps create an itemized record of possessions because it generates an image that can be printed, embedded in a printed document, or saved on a CD. The image can be manipulated and enlarged so it can identify details, such as the serial number on electronics or intricate markings on a piece of silver.

A detailed inventory should include everything of value inside your home, including furniture, jewelry, artwork, antiques, collectibles, appliances, kitchen contents, clothes, linens, computer equipment, televisions, electronic equipment, musical instruments, tools, and sporting gear.

The goal is to document this information:

  • Item description and quantity
  • Manufacturer or brand name
  • Model or serial number
  • Description of where (or how) the item was obtained
  • Date of purchase or age of item
  • Receipt or other proof of purchase, showing cost
  • Current value or replacement cost
  • Photocopies of any appraisals

Creating an inventory is time-consuming, so break it down into workable segments. Make sure the digital camera's time and date are set correctly and then tackle one room at a time. First, photograph an overview of the room from several different locations, then take individual shots of each item as you work your way around the room. Open cabinet doors and drawers and photograph what's inside. Remove any items that are difficult to see and photograph them on a tabletop where you can get close-ups of identifying features.

The process of transferring images to a home inventory document can be handled by software that connects the camera to the computer. Most home inventory software allows you to imbed digital images into a document so you can create a complete inventory with images and descriptions.

Free inventory software is available on the Internet. The Insurance Information Institute offers "Know Your Stuff Home Inventory" software at KnowYourStuff.org. To store the inventory, you have several options. Burn the file onto a CD and save it in a safety-deposit box; save it on a hard drive and E-mail it to yourself and a family member for safe-keeping; or make a printout of the report to have a hard copy. Of course, the best advice is to do all three.