2. Create an Exhaustive Inventory

There are no hard rules on how to inventory your home’s contents, whether you jot down a list or make a spreadsheet. Being thorough is what’s important. Rifle through every room, closet and crawlspace to itemize everything, from your well-loved IKEA cutlery in the kitchen to the camping gear stashed in the garage. Note makes, models and age of items, being as specific as possible, and document serial numbers. Such details help insurance adjusters identify what was lost or destroyed, identify similar products for quotes, and determine replacement and depreciation values. Consider making videos or taking photos of the rooms in your home as well as individual items. This can be a valuable way to verify details if you need to make a claim. Also, retain receipts, warranties and appraisals, especially for valuable possessions

Some options for keeping track of your inventory are:

Taking photos: Take a picture inventory of your home’s contents. Make sure to upload to a secure online location afterwards. It’s a good idea to keep two copies. For example, one uploaded to the cloud, and another on a USB drive at your office.
Using an app to keep track of everything. There are plenty of free options such as Sortly, Snappii Home Inventory or UPHelp Home Inventory, and many of them will let you do things like scanning bar codes to record your stuff or export a list to Excel.
Using a video camera (even the video camera on your phone): Simply walk around your home and rifle through all your stuff. Make sure to film make, model or serial number for bigger-ticket items. Upload to a secure online location afterwards, and keep a second copy too.
A spreadsheet: You can just use excel to make your own, but the Insurance Bureau of Canada also has a handy excel spreadsheet you can download from this page.

Remember: When you’ve finished, make and keep multiple copies of your inventory—at the office, in a safety deposit box or saved on the cloud for quick retrieval.

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