How to Protect Your Home (and Not Break Your Budget) Series
My 4-week series is a must for every homeowner. Once you buy a home, it’s now all your responsibility! But are you truly prepared for the unexpected? This series is a great overview on what you need to know when it comes to getting homeowner’s insurance, keeping your home safe and secure, and avoiding costly mistakes when protecting your home.
This week you’ll learn why keeping an itemized list of your home’s contents is a HUGE help when you need to make an insurance claim.
No one wants their home damaged or destroyed by fire or flooding. Or have treasured items stolen from them. It’s devastating to even think about it.
That’s why you – like all homeowners — rely on insurance coverage to help cover the cost to rebuild your home and replace your belongings. Having it gives you some comfort and relief, right?
But you can only replace what you have records of owning! If you can’t prove you had it, insurance won’t replace it! What’s a homeowner to do?
Your insurance company can only be as helpful to you as you are to them. It’s a simple fact, and that’s why you need to take inventory of your belongings. They will look for reasons to not pay your claim, so don’t make it easy for them!
Why It Matters
Take a look around your home and most likely it’s filled with many different items, some worth more than others, some more precious to you, and some just part of your day-to-day life.
But if you add them all up, the value of your belongings could be quite high. Are you covered for that? What happens when you need to make a claim and prove the value?
Taking an inventory of all of you items throughout your home:
- It gives you a better idea of how much coverage you actually need, and
- It can help verify the value of your belongings when you file a claim, and even facilitate the process.
Your inventory can help the claims process tremendously since there is no second guessing since you can provide both visual and documented proof.
Getting It Right … and Making It Easy
A home inventory is exactly as it sounds. Pulling together a detailed list of items in your home … furniture, fixtures, paintings, jewelry, appliances, electronics, etc. And with that making sure you take a picture and include a description, serial number, model, purchase date, and estimated value (include any receipts) for each item.
Taking pictures and making a detailed list sounds difficult and overwhelming, doesn’t it? And on top of that, where do you keep these records so that they aren’t also destroyed if your home is?
It actually can be quite simple with some of the online options out there.
You can download an app, either on your own or through your insurance company, that is specifically designed to help you itemized all of your stuff! These apps can guide you through the process and make taking inventory of your home much easier and more organized.
Sortly is a powerful home inventory app designed to simplify the process of organizing and cataloging your belongings. With Sortly, you can create detailed item entries, complete with photos, descriptions, and even custom tags for easy sorting. The app also allows you to categorize items by room, location, or any other criteria you choose, making it easy to find what you need when you need it. Additionally, Sortly offers cloud storage and syncing capabilities, so your inventory is always accessible across multiple devices.
Encircle is another excellent option for managing your home inventory. This app offers robust features for documenting your possessions, including the ability to create detailed property profiles with photos, receipts, and warranty information. Encircle also includes tools for tracking repairs and maintenance, as well as generating comprehensive reports for insurance claims. With its intuitive interface and seamless syncing across devices, Encircle makes it easy to keep your inventory up-to-date and organized.
BluePlum Home Inventory is a user-friendly app that allows you to create detailed inventories of your belongings quickly and easily. With BluePlum, you can catalog items by room, category, or value, and add photos and descriptions to each entry for reference. The app also offers customizable fields, so you can include additional information such as purchase date, serial numbers, and warranty details. BluePlum’s intuitive interface and robust features make it a great choice for homeowners looking to protect their possessions.
Nest Egg is a comprehensive home inventory app that offers a wide range of features for organizing and tracking your belongings. With Nest Egg, you can create detailed item entries, complete with photos, receipts, and warranty information. The app also includes tools for estimating the value of your possessions and tracking depreciation over time. Nest Egg’s intuitive interface and customizable reporting options make it a top choice for homeowners looking to safeguard their investments.
MyStuff2 Pro is a versatile home inventory app that offers a range of features for managing your possessions. With MyStuff2 Pro, you can create detailed item entries, complete with photos, descriptions, and custom fields. The app also includes tools for tracking purchases, warranties, and repairs, as well as generating reports for insurance purposes. MyStuff2 Pro’s user-friendly interface and robust features make it a popular choice among homeowners.
NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) Home Inventory is a straightforward app that allows you to create detailed inventories of your belongings quickly and easily. With NAIC Home Inventory, you can catalog items by room, category, or value, and add photos and descriptions to each entry for reference. The app also includes tools for estimating the value of your possessions and generating reports for insurance purposes. NAIC Home Inventory’s simplicity and ease of use make it a great option for homeowners looking to protect their belongings.
Memento Database is a customizable home inventory app that offers a wide range of features for organizing and tracking your belongings. With Memento Database, you can create custom item entries with fields for photos, descriptions, and other details. The app also includes tools for categorizing items, creating custom views, and generating reports for insurance purposes. Memento Database’s flexibility and robust features make it a popular choice for homeowners with unique inventory needs.
Skyware Inventory is a cloud-based home inventory app that offers a range of features for organizing and tracking your belongings. With Skyware Inventory, you can create detailed item entries with photos, descriptions, and custom fields. The app also includes tools for categorizing items, creating custom views, and generating reports for insurance purposes. Skyware Inventory’s cloud-based storage and syncing capabilities make it a convenient option for homeowners who want to access their inventory from anywhere.
Itemtopia is a user-friendly home inventory app that offers a range of features for managing your possessions. With Itemtopia, you can create detailed item entries with photos, descriptions, and custom fields. The app also includes tools for tracking purchases, warranties, and repairs, as well as generating reports for insurance purposes. Itemtopia’s intuitive interface and customizable features make it a great choice for homeowners looking to protect their belongings.
Investing in a home inventory app is a smart decision for any homeowner looking to protect their possessions. Whether you choose a simple, straightforward app or a comprehensive, feature-rich solution, having an organized inventory of your belongings can provide peace of mind and streamline the insurance claims process in the event of loss or damage. With the wide range of home inventory apps available today, there’s sure to be one that meets your needs and helps you safeguard your investments for years to come.
Isn’t There Another Way To Take Inventory?
If this type of software doesn’t work for you, you can always take the time to save your photos and lists on a safe online system like Dropbox or iCloud that can be accessed anywhere. Some people even like to take a video of their home and walk from room to room to document their stuff. Again, easy to save online.
No matter what system you choose, the most important thing is that you’re organized and prepared if something happens to your home.
Keep It Safe
Never store your inventory list at home where it can be damaged. That’s why online programs are a great way to keep your itemized lists and pictures safe and accessible when there is an emergency. Digital records can be stored in Dropbox or iCloud. And, if you still need a paper back-up, save those documents in a safe deposit box or secured place outside of your home.
Next week in my 4-week series, How to Protect Your Home (And Not Break Your Budget), you’ll find out how to avoid costly blunders with home maintenance. You might be surprised at how not planning could cost you thousands!
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