When you have a major home or renters insurance claim, most insurance companies are reasonably understanding of the difficulties that you have in remembering everything you had. Even so, you will need to submit a list of your personal belongings and other contents with estimated values.

There are three good ways to keep a record for yourself and have some evidence in case of any disputes:

• Video – Make a video of the inside of your home.  Walk through your home room by room, showing all your belongings. Comment along the way, pointing out valuable or unusual items. Don’t forget the garage, basement, and attic.
• Home inventory form – Use a form to list your contents room by room. Include an estimate of replacement cost. For valuable or unusual items, note where you bought them and any details that will help establish their replacement value. You can just make a list if you prefer, but a home inventory form can help you organize everything. Erie insurance has a good home inventory form on their website (we can get you a copy if you have any trouble accessing it).
• Online inventory – There are services that allow you do a home inventory on their site, avoiding the need for off-premises storage (assuming that you remember your log-in information when you need it).  Some even allow you to upload photos and receipts. One of the best is available at no charge from the Insurance Information Institute.

If you use a form or video, be sure to keep it off-premises, maybe in a safety deposit box or at a friend’s house. It won’t do you any good if it burns up with your home.

Whichever method you use, keep it updated whenever you make a major purchase.

For more information, drop by our website at www.albionagencies.com, or get in touch with me.

The information in this post is general in nature, and geared toward insurance conditions in Western New York.  As always, you should speak with an insurance adviser to determine your specific insurance needs.