Home inventory

What It Means

A home inventory is a written and photographed list of your belongings, room by room, with what each item is and what it cost. After a fire, theft or storm, it helps you show your insurer what you owned, and it tells you whether your policy limit is high enough before anything happens. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) suggests keeping a copy somewhere other than the home.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Walk through with your phone and film every room."
• "Keep the receipt, it goes in the inventory."
• "The insurer wanted a list of everything we lost."

The Breakdown

How to make one

1. Start with one room. Write down each item of value: what it is, the brand and model, the serial number, when you bought it and what you paid.
2. Photograph the items, and keep the receipts with the list.
3. Short on time? The NAIC suggests filming or photographing every room, including the basement and garage, as a first pass you can fill in later.
4. Keep copies of your insurance policies with the inventory.
5. Store a copy away from home. The NAIC lists your workplace, a safe deposit box, a relative's house or online storage.
6. Review it every year, and add receipts for repairs and new purchases as they happen.

Try it today. Film one room slowly, opening closets and drawers, and say the brand and rough age of the big items out loud as you go.

What the total tells you. Add the rooms up and compare the result with your policy's personal property limit. If the total is higher, talk to your agent or insurer about the limit.

Good to Know

The NAIC's claims guidance says to document losses with photos or video and a list of damaged and lost items before removing debris, and an inventory made ahead of time gives you something to check that list against. If you'd rather fill in a form, the NAIC's home inventory page offers a downloadable version.

Related Terms and Categories

• Homeowners insurance claim

  A request to your homeowners insurer to pay for damage or loss the policy covers, backed by photos, a list of what was lost and your receipts.

• Renters insurance

  A policy for tenants that pays to repair or replace their belongings, covers liability for harm they cause others, and pays extra living costs after a covered loss.

• Insurance deductible

  The part of a covered loss you pay yourself before your home, renters or auto insurance pays the rest, set as a dollar amount or a percentage.

• Hurricane prep

  Getting a home and household ready for a hurricane: knowing your evacuation zone, stocking supplies, protecting windows and acting on watches and warnings.

• Paper clutter

  Piles of mail, bills, statements, receipts and forms that build up at home, with no system for what to keep, where, and for how long.

• Emergency kit

  A packed set of water, food, light, first aid and other basics that lets a household get through several days on its own after a disaster.

Home maintenance and repairs