Nobody wants to consider a tragedy like losing your home to a natural disaster or a devastating fire. While it is not pleasant to consider, it will be much easier to face if you have adequate insurance coverage in place to protect you and your family from financial ruin. If you have a plan in place, there are some things that you can do to ensure that when it comes time to claim that you will be able to get everything that is coming to you without much hassle from the insurance company. Many policy owners are not aware that there are breeds that are excluded in the wording of some insurance policies. If you have a dog that is a breed known to be aggressive or does not have a good reputation you might not be covered. Some breeds like Pit Bulls or Rottweilers fall into this category. While your dog might seem like the most charming little character, it matters only what is written in your policy pages when it comes time to claim.
It is a very good idea for anyone that is paying for a homeowners’ policy to keep an up-to-date inventory of all of the contents of your home. While you might think that you can sit down and name everything that you own, it is very difficult to do and you will surely miss some things. They may seem small but when you add them all up it can be quite expensive. Just consider the value of all of the things in your kitchen, and how much trouble you would have listing them if you had to. Take the time to make a complete inventory and to make sure that it is safe. This can mean putting it in a fireproof box, or having it somewhere in cyberspace where it can be accessed any time from anywhere. It is also a good idea to keep receipts for anything that you can, particularly the expensive items.
If you do not already have a home inventory, it can seem like climbing a mountain to set about making one. Even if you don’t list every single thing that is under your roof, it is wise to just get as much as you can. Anything is better that having nothing when you go to the insurance company with a claim. Moving day or the days before moving day can be a good time to do this. As everything is getting packed you can make a list and it will be done before you know it.
An easy way to do an inventory of the home is to do it room by room. Take a sheet of paper for each room and tackle them one at a time. Put the name of the room on the top of the sheet and start writing. Include everything that you can see in that room. If there are electronics or other valuable items in the room, record the serial numbers and gather the receipts for them if you can. Go through every nook and cranny in that room and record everything. Open up the closets or cabinets, go through the drawers and list anything in a hidden space or storage area of any kind.
Photos or video might also be a good idea. If you decide to go with photos, it may help to have a family member or yourself in the shot. This will make it more obvious that it was something that belonged to you. Video is also easy, quick and there will be no question that it was in your house. Take the time to be protected and you may one day be very glad that you did.