Having a home inventory: A necessity, not a luxury

If a fire, theft or disaster were to happen, most homeowners could not remember all of their personal items in their home for insurance purposes. Relying solely on your memory could be an expensive mistake. A home inventory is a detailed archived record that lists all the personal property or assets located in your home.

When you make an insurance claim for damaged, lost, or stolen property, your insurance policy will require that you show the quantity, description, and possibly the amount of loss associated with the item. If you forget some items or fail to include an adequate description or proof of ownership you may receive less than full or no compensation for your loss.

After the Cedar Fire in 2003, most people affected by the fire did not have an inventory of their valuables. One resident in Scripps Ranch said, "We definitely did not receive the amount we should have from our insurance because we couldn't remember everything of value that we owned. Also, all of our receipts that we saved from our big purchases burned in the fire. We have rebuilt a new home and one of the first things we did was take a home inventory to assure that this would never happen to us again." Another resident actually did have an inventory done before the fire and he said, "We were very lucky to have had an inventory of our house, we had just remodeled a few months before the fire and our insurance covered our entire claim for our personal property." The State Farm Insurance Web site recommends, "Every home owner should have an inventory because the threat of loss of property from fire, theft or other causes is always present. An accurate inventory and proof of ownership at the time of a loss can make claim settlement easier and faster."

Assure You, LLC a Home Inventory Service, was started to provide homeowners with an easy efficient way to have an inventory of their home. Most homeowners say they are going to do their own inventory but don't find the time or put it off until it is to late and disaster strikes. Assure You works with the homeowner to create a detailed "third party" record of their personal property.

A good home inventory includes a detailed list of your possessions including receipts, descriptions and video and photos of your home's contents. It will take a little time to compile, but the time and frustration it may save you later will more than make up for it. When it's done, be sure to keep this inventory in a safe deposit box or other location outside your home. If you would like more information about this topic, please call Julie Meltzer or Marcia Jacobs at Assure You, LLC (858) 259-9891 or look on the website www.assureyou.com