When the unexpected happens to your stuff…

There are times when the unexpected happens to your household items. This is a true story that happened to my family during a military move from Germany to Kansas in 1992. In what we didn’t know would be our last move for the Army, it was the move that most impacted our lives for years.

As the packers started unhinging the giant wooden crates we quickly realized that something was not right and a lot of our items were missing. We started making lists by going through old photographs and home movies of items that were stolen. It wasn’t until months later and hours of my mother’s time assembling the final home inventory list that we discovered that we had $40,000 worth of items stolen.

With today’s technology, we can avoid having to go through so much pain and delay in home insurance claims by utilizing home inventory software programs. Although, I’m not moving with the military anymore, I am still concerned about recording my home contents. I use Collectify Home Inventory to record my home contents while attaching pictures and serial numbers to each item. When I don’t have time to enter each detail of the item, I take a picture of the serial number and attach that picture to the item. After I enter a new item, I run a digital report and place the report in my lock box.

There are also apps on mobile devices that can be used to quickly add items to different rooms via a cell phone or tablet. You will want to check that the inventory list can be exported in a report form from your phone or tablet. Search for “home inventory” in the Android Market or the Apple App Store to read reviews of each app before downloading.

Some people may just find using an excel spreadsheet will work just fine for them. But whatever program you choose, just ensure you have all the important information recorded and stored in a safe place. You never know when the next natural disaster may effect your home.