Home Inventory

 

This question is not uncommon around our household. And if it’s not a watch, you can add just about anything else to the end of that sentence, and we’ve all taken our turn asking that question. It’s not uncommon to forget where things have been placed. It’s also not unusual that we forget entirely that we even own something until we need it. How about after a natural disaster? Or a house fire? Remembering the things you own is difficult already without the added stress of a situation in which your home has been damaged partially or even completely.

 

Don’t wait until something happens for you to start thinking about the things that you own, make a resolution this year that will be easy to keep. Make an inventory of your possessions.There is a straightforward way to get started, and odds are you are carrying the right tool you need to get the job done. Take a smartphone and using either the camera or the video function, document the items in your home. Starting in the basement, make your way through each room in your home in a systematic way. If you are making a video, you can also mention noteworthy things about the items you are filming. 

 

There’s no need for your home to look neat and tidy before you start filming! Make a mess! 

 

Once you have made it through the whole house, don’t forget to do the outside as well, whether that is a garage with tools and equipment, the BBQ or patio furniture, or storage shed full of yard maintenance tools. 

 

Now that you’ve got everything in pictures or on video, upload the data onto a USB stick and store it in a safe place such as a safety deposit box that is waterproof and fireproof.  It can also be beneficial to send an additional copy to a family member or friend you trust so that there is always a backup copy somewhere.