Making a property insurance inventory list is not a complicated task. It can be very time consuming. When making the list there are several things you need to do.
First, you need to decide how you want to make the list. The easiest way is to enter the information into the computer so that you can make changes and print the list out. The easiest way to do this is to use Microsoft Excel to enter the information. You will need a column for the item, purchase date, purchase price and current value. Once this is set up, you can begin to enter the information.
You should do one room at a time. Start at one end of the room and go around. As you make the list, you should take a picture of the items you are listing. Be sure to label the sheet with the room and also the pictures with the room so you can match them up later if necessary. It is good to keep receipts also for the items you are listing.
For people with computer skills, everything can be saved on the computer. The item list can be saved as well as the pictures. The receipts can be scanned into the computer also. You can create a folder for the inventory. Then create sub folders for each room. Then in each room’s folder, you can create folder with the inventory list, pictures and receipts.
Setting this up can take time, but not as much as actually listing everything. As you make your list, take pictures as you go. This way you can make sure that you don’t forget anything.
If you have an item that is antique or hard to replace, you should make a separate page describing in detail the item and include an appraisal for this item and a very good picture of it. The picture should show as much detail as possible. This will make it easier if you have a claim.
Once the list is complete, you should save it to a disk or flash drive. You should also make two copies of this. Put one copy in a safe deposit box so it will be safe. You should also print out a copy of the inventory, pictures and receipts to go in the safe deposit box. The other copy can be kept with your normal records at home. You should also make sure that someone else knows where to find this information in case you are out of town and your house is burglarized. This list can help pinpoint what was stolen.
Making this list can be time consuming but one it is done it is easy to make additions to it later. At the time of a claim, you will be glad you have the list.