Things to know and stay safe

No one plans to lose their valuables and other belongings in a burglary, fire, or natural disaster. If you lose your home, would you be able to report exactly what you lost to the police, IRS, or to your insurance agent? Do you know who to call?

It’s easier to do an collect this info and do inventory of your home now rather than sitting down afterward and attempting to remember a lifetime worth of numbers and purchases.

Use our Personal Property Inventory & Calculator (PDF or XLS) to complete your household inventory. Write down any valuable items with their serial numbers. Attach receipts, if possible.

Remember to include furniture, appliances, carpeting, jewelry, artwork, toys and the contents of your closets, cabinets and drawers. Contact your independent insurance agent with questions or concerns.

Play it safe with a video

Videotaping each room of your house can make taking inventories easier. Photographs and a tape recorder can substitute for a video camera.

Your video inventory should contain verbal descriptions of major assets as well as their value. Remember your garage, attic, basement and the exterior of the house, plus your landscaping and fencing. If possible, make it a family project by having everyone take turns describing the objects in your home.

Store the video or photographs along with this inventory in a safe-deposit box and send a copy to a friend or relative.

Don’t forget important documents

Extremely important documents should be photocopied. Keep one copy in your home and the original, where possible, in a safe-deposit box.

Important documents include, but are not limited to, the following:

• House—Escrow, title, deed, insurance policy.
• Personal—Birth certificates, medical history, passports, insurance certificates, credit card numbers, will.
• Automobile—Certificates of ownership, finance contracts, registrations, insurance policy, driver’s licenses.
• Finance—Account numbers for checking and savings accounts, CDs, stocks, bonds, other significant investments.
• Tax—Copies of the first two pages of your state and federal returns for the past five years. Complete returns with appropriate receipts and canceled checks should be kept in a separate file box.