How Do I Create A Home Inventory For Renters Insurance In Pittsburgh?

Many people wonder if they need to maintain a home inventory or otherwise make a list of their personal property that suffered a loss when there’s a claim.  Often this will be necessary – adjusters are able to make accommodations for people who don’t have every item of socks accounted for, but not for many classes of property.

 

It’s best to have a list of the things you own.  It’s not as daunting a task as it sounds.  If you have renters insurance in Pittsburgh – or anywhere else in the country, follow these best practices and claims will be a much smoother process should they every be necessary.

We’re going to assume for these purposes that you have a smart phone or a tablet of some sort.  They’re pretty much ubiquitous, and if you don’t have one, just substitute “video camera” and “camera” where appropriate and you can get the same end results.  Pittsburgh Renters Insurance renters insurance claims often result in questions about the kind and quality of property that was lost, so making a home inventory is the best way to make a claim run smoothly.  Of course, the time to do it is before you need it, just like the time to buy insurance is before you need it, so you’ll want to get started!

Home Inventories – The Video

Here’s where you get a catch-all that helps with the little things that people tend to forget.  You’re going to want to take your phone or tablet (or video camera) and walk through each room of your home.  Don’t forget to get all four walls of each room.  Standing in the center of the room is often a good place.  This gives an overview of property, and a good indication of the kind and quality of things that you have.  It also helps to account for the amount of certain classes of property you have, such as clothes.  Don’t forget the inside of closets and cabinets!

Home Inventories – The Photographs

Here’s where you get into specific property that you’ll want to make sure you have proof of.  Electronics, certain types of kitchen appliances, and other property often has a serial number plate on it.  If you get a picture of this, it’s evidence of exactly what property you had, and makes the process even easier.  This is in addition to the video, of course, and designed to catch specific items.  Make sure you get electronics, including the phone you’re using to do all of this!

Home Inventories – Protecting Them

To protect your home inventory and make it easier to make a claim on your renters insurance in Pittsburgh, you’ll want to make sure you keep it off-site.  That’s not as difficult as it sounds.  It used to be that you’d make a paper list and keep it in a safe deposit box, but that’s no longer necessary.  Many phones will automatically sync these pictures and videos to the cloud, even.  Just make sure you’re able to access them if the device is lost or destroyed – a home inventory doesn’t do you any good if it’s lost in the same event that impacts your other property!

Just remember, it’s not a bad idea to create a list of high value property, as well, and make sure that you email it to yourself or keep it off-site also.  In addition, that’s a great chance to evaluate your coverage and make sure there are no gaps on those high-value items – just send the list to your renters insurance expert and they can discuss coverage and any action you may need to take to make sure those valuables are protected.

What If I Don’t Have A Home Inventory And There’s A Claim?

You’re not completely out of luck if you don’t have a home inventory, it just takes a little bit more legwork.  As noted above, allowances can be made for certain classes of property that are fairly universal, like clothing.  But to get full value for other property, you may need to prove that you owned it.

In order to do that, you can get credit card statements and bank statements – use these to find when and where you made the purchase.  Some merchants also maintain accounts for individuals, whether or not there’s a loyalty card involved, so if you know your television came from a particular store, you might be able to prove it.  This is especially true if you purchased an extended warranty or other service package.

You can get by without a home inventory, but claims are often fraught with emotion and worries about where you’re going to go, so it’s important to have the information available.  To find out more about how you can protect yourself with renters insurance in PA, just call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need Pittsburgh renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!

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Photo Credit: Brian Donovan CC2