Organize Your Home by Creating a Home Inventory List in 5 Easy Steps!

Author: The Massey Clark Fisher Team | Monday, Jan 14, 2013

Tags: community • home insurance • homeowners insurance • insurance • local • safety tips • seasonal • tips

Did you know that January 14th is recognized as National Organize Your Home Day? If you did not plan on celebrating or participating today, it’s okay! There is never a “bad” time to focus on organization. An organized home will lead to a less-stressed and much happier environment.

This week, our agency would like to focus on organizing with a home inventory list. Many homeowners pass on this task because it seems like too large of a project to handle. However, we have a few tips to share that will make this task much more manageable. Follow these five steps:

• Write your list, one room at a time. Do not look at your house as a whole. If you think of it this way, you will become overwhelmed and discouraged. Instead, plan one day to tackle the kitchen. Wait until another day to tackle the living room, and so on. This is a process. Take your time!
• Start with larger, most expensive items. The most expensive items should be documented at the top of your list. This is a simple way of organizing the list further.
• Choose your method. Choose the method that works easiest for you. You can handwrite this list and accompany with pictures, use an Excel Doc on your desktop, find a trusty program, use a video recorder and walk through your home while narrating… you have plenty of options to choose from.
• Document thoroughly. Write down as much information as possible, including: make, model, serial number, color, price, etc. You may also want to keep receipts for the most expensive items on the list for proof of ownership.
• Back-up your list. Once you have completed your list, back it up! It would be a shame if you lost your list during a flood or if your computer crashes.

Simple, right? Following the tips listed above will ensure that your home inventory list is complete and ready for the New Year ahead. Having this list completed will also come in handy once the time comes to file a home insurance claim. Once you have your list done, be sure to add to it whenever you make new purchases. It will be much easier to keep up with if you do so!

If you have any questions or are in need of further assistance, do not hesitate to contact our agents at Massey, Clark, Fischer, Inc. We would be more than happy to discuss the benefits of a home inventory list or discuss home insurance solutions with you. Good luck!