Sunday 5 June 2011

Why Making a Home Inventory List Should Be The First On Your Homeowners Insurance To-Do List

By Adam Ciboch


Most people tend to have this mentality that bad things will never happen to them. It's clich, but you've probably heard it all the time. And it's not even true.

The truth is, disasters can strike at any time, including tornados, earthquakes, flooding, and more. And these types of natural disasters have consequences for the property within your home. If you already own a homeowners insurance policy, that's a good start. It's not enough, though.

Many people buy incorrect or inadequate coverage, so you first need to make sure you've bought coverage that adds up to the amount of money you'd actually need to replace your belongings if they were destroyed. You also need to make a home inventory, next. You need to make a list of all the values of every item in your home in order to make a property home inventory. Home inventories are made specifically for your insurance company so they can give you the accurate replacement value if your items are damages in some sort of natural disaster covered under your policy.

Here's another tip. Simply listing your big-ticket items like a piano or your flat-screen television is not enough. In addition to listing your valuables, you also need to list everything else you own, if you want to receive replacement money for it later on down the road. This means itemizing everything, from pots and pans to all of your clothing and shoes. The more detailed you are, the easier it will be for an insurance company to know what sum to cut you a check for if you submit an appropriate claim. Without this home inventory, you'll have to start from scratch, and that means using your own money to cover your losses.

The scenario listed above is obviously not ideal. The best way, then, to ensure this doesn't happen to you is to be as thorough as possible when you itemize your belongings. In addition to writing down costs and taking notes, you can also take pictures of your valuables and provide receipts, if you still have them. This will go a long way in making sure you get the biggest return, if the unthinkable happens.




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