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    Home Inventory App

    2 hours of work. Could save tens of thousands in a claim.

    Why this matters

    After a fire or burglary, insurance companies ask: "What did you own and what was it worth?" With no inventory, you\'ll forget half. People who keep an inventory typically recover 30-50% MORE on claims than those who don\'t.

    Easiest way — phone video walkthrough

    1. Open your phone camera, switch to video mode.
    2. Walk through every room, narrating what you see.
    3. Open closets, drawers, garage, attic. Linger on expensive items — TVs, jewelry, computers, instruments.
    4. Pan to model numbers and serial numbers when visible.
    5. Save the video to iCloud / Google Photos. Email a copy to yourself.
    6. Update once a year (after holidays — new gifts).

    10-15 minute video covers a typical house. Insurance adjusters love this — it\'s self-evident proof.

    Real home inventory apps

    • Sortly — free for up to 100 items. Photos, categories, barcode scan. Best free option.
    • Encircle — free, made for insurance claims. Backed up to cloud.
    • NAIC Home Inventory app — free, from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
    • Apple Notes / Google Keep — manual but no setup. Good for the major items.
    • Spreadsheet — old-school but reliable.

    High-value items deserve extra care

    • Jewelry — get appraisals every 5 years. Photo each piece.
    • Art — receipts, certificates, current photos.
    • Antiques and collectibles — appraisals.
    • Firearms — serial numbers, photos, model.
    • Electronics — model and serial numbers.
    • Tools/equipment — easy to forget how many you own.

    Standard homeowner\'s insurance often caps jewelry at $1,500. If you have more than that, ask your agent about a "scheduled" rider.

    Where to keep the inventory

    1. Cloud backup (iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive) — survives if the house burns down.
    2. Email it to yourself — a second backup.
    3. Optional: a copy at a relative\'s house, or in a safe deposit box.
    4. Don\'t keep it ONLY on your home computer — that gets destroyed in the same fire.

    Best time to do it

    Right now. A 15-minute video walkthrough today is infinitely better than a perfect spreadsheet you never finish. Just walk through and record. Update later.