Prepare Your Home with a Home Inventory Checklist and a $50 Best Buy Giftcard Giveaway

No one ever wants to think about the worse situations or think about when disaster could strike.  Though it can be a somewhat uncomfortable subject families need to be protected for all types of circumstances.  Your home is basic necessity of life – its your shelter and where you store some of your most prized possessions.  Would you know what to do if an unforeseen circumstance arose?

 According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) website,

In 2011 alone, severe weather disasters across the country inflicted more than $43 billion in damage. But research suggests that more than half of consumers do not have an inventory of their possessions. Creating a simple home inventory helps you track what you own and what it is worth, making important insurance decisions easier.  Whether you live in tornado alley, wildfire zones or along coastlines prone to flooding and hurricanes – now is the time to make sure you have properly insured your ‘stuff.’ An inventory is especially important for families who have amassed years of personal possessions.

Living in the Northeastern states of the U.S. for most of my life, I really didn’t think too much about severe weather. However, now residing in Florida, natural disasters like hurricane and severe thunderstorms are considerations that has become part of my life.  One of the best ways to make sure belongings are fully protected is to document them through a home inventory.  A home inventory basically involves documenting the “stuff” in your home to ensure all your favorite things are covered in case of a severe storm or other emergency. While there are several options for forming an inventory, a free option is an iPhone or Android application called MyHOME Scr.APP.book. The app, from NAIC, lets you quickly photograph and capture images, descriptions, bar codes and serial numbers, and then stores them electronically for safekeeping. The app organizes information room by room and creates a back-up file for e-mail sharing. 

Since about half of all Americans don’t have a home inventory, the following are simple steps to create a home inventory:

• Group your possessions into logical categories, i.e., by hobby, by room in your home, etc.
• Your list should include celebration purchases like jewelry and art, as well as everyday leisure items such as televisions and guitars.
• Don’t forget items you use rarely such as holiday decorations, sports equipment, tools, etc.
• Pull together copies of original sales receipts and/or appraisal documents. Also note model and serial numbers.
• Carefully photograph or videotape each item and document a brief description, including age, purchase price and estimated current value. Download a home inventory checklist (PDF).
• Store your home inventory and related documents in a safe, easily accessible place online, on your computer or in a fire-proof box or safe deposit box. Consider sharing a copy with friends, relatives and your insurance provider.
  • iPhone® users — The NAIC’s free myHOME Scr.APP.book downloadable app lets you quickly photograph and capture descriptions of your possessions room by room, then store electronically for safekeeping.
  • Android® users — With the myHOME Scr.APP.book home inventory app, you can quickly capture images, descriptions, and serial numbers of your possessions, then organize the information by room or by category. The app even creates a back-up file for email sharing.
    

A home inventory can be invaluable when deciding how much insurance coverage fits your life situation and makes sure you are adequately protected should you need to file a claim. Get more homeowners insurance tips. 

iPhones: http://itunes.apple.com/app/myhome-scr-app-book/id414273863?mt=8 
Androids: http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.naic.scrapbook&feature=search_result 

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