How to Use a Home Inventory List to De-Clutter and Prepare for Emergency

Once you purchase or rent your own home, the first thing you do is fill it. And after you've lived in one place for a while, it is easy to lose track of all the things that you've purchased over the years. But what do you do if, God forbid, there is a fire or a flood or some other emergency that requires you to report to your insurance company? A detailed inventory list of all of the items that you own is essential in emergency situations. And, inventory lists are also useful for clearing out some of the clutter in your home in preparation for a move, or even a good Spring clean.

Digital or Paper?
A digital copy of your inventory list is convenient to have because you can e-mail it to your lawyer or any other concerned parties in a hurry. The Insurance Information Institute offers Know Your Home Inventory software as a free download on their website. It is easy to use and allows you to add rooms and items to the inventory. Plus, it allows you to add photos, receipts or appraisals, model/serial numbers, and replacement costs. If you feel like you need tips along the way, check out the FEMA and Insurance Information Institute. Both websites offer helpful guidelines. Next, check with your insurance agent if you are unsure about exactly what your plan covers.

Start Documenting
The best way to go about making an inventory is to clear a day in your schedule (or a few hours, depending on how much clutter you have). You don't want to give things a chance to move around and get looked over. Then, gather all of your receipts and warranties and purchase information into one place so that you don't have to run all over the place wondering where that receipt from three years ago went. Inventory everything in each room, but do more than make a simple list. Be sure to document (to the best of your knowledge - or with supporting data like receipts and warranties) the details about place and date of purchase, cost, and serial numbers.

You don't necessarily need to include clothing for an insurance report, but home inventory lists are a great way to reduce clutter. You may realize that you have way to many t-shirts or miss-matched coffee mugs that can be sent to Goodwill or a garage sale.

Take Photographs
If you own your own home, you are going to want to include photographs of the interior and exterior of your home as well. Take pictures of each room that show all of their contents. Pricey items get their own photographs that show their condition. Less expensive items can be grouped together. Make sure to include the contents of safes, tool boxes and the like. If you're using the Know Your Home inventory software, you can load these pictures onto the software. If not, upload them to your computer or print them and store them somewhere outside your home so that they escape any damage. A data and paper copy of your list should be stored in a similar fashion.

Cut Down on Clutter
Print out your finished list and see if there is any room to cut down on clutter. Highlight things that you are considering getting rid of before you actually start moving stuff around. Then, get yourself a few boxes and start putting that extra clutter away to be donated, sold on e-bay, or whatever. Then, be sure to update your list so that its kept current.