The 2009 wildfire season in California has gotten off to an early raging start. If you live in an area at high risk for fire (or any natural disaster), we strongly urge you to create an inventory of your home’s contents as a precaution. The photo on the right shows just how much you’ll wish you had pre-inventoried the contents of your home if your property is ever destroyed or severely damaged.
Take advantage of UP’s free tools:
- A detailed room-by-room UP Home inventory in Excel listing items found in a typical home. The UP Home Inventory is comprehensive and easy to complete by hand or on your computer.
- A sample home inventory from a total loss insurance claim.
- A home inventory flash drive that’s pre-loaded with the inventory spreadsheet and can be used with any computer.
- Info on valuing, appraising and insuring your property.
If you can’t find the time or energy to create a detailed home inventory, walk around your home with a video camera, narrating as you go, then store the tape at work or outside your home in a secure location. Or, pay an inventory specialist or professional organizer to do it for you. Visit the Find Help section on UP’s website or do an Internet search for “home inventory service.” Inventory professionals charge by the hour or by the project. Some will store your data for you, others will give you a binder or disk to store yourself.