The main reason to create a home inventory as you may have suspected, is for insurance purposes. Whether you rent or own your home, purchasing insurance to cover a loss to your property is just a good idea.
Setting up a household can be expensive. From the big-ticket items like furniture and major appliances, to clothes, home goods and home décor, all of this can cost a pretty penny!
If you were to add up what you paid for all the big stuff, for instance, you could double that amount and you may get some idea of what it would cost to replace the contents of your home. When you create a home inventory you will gain a better understanding of the things you own. This information will reduce the amount of your stress of filing an insurance claim, if/when such a situation arises.
The media constantly keeps us updated on crimes in our areas such as burglary and arson that cause losses to our property. Media coverage also includes damages from natural disasters such as floods, tornado’s and hurricanes. Insurance coverage helps us recover from these sometimes, catastrophic losses.
This post is not meant to promote insurance companies, it’s meant to get you thinking about the property that you own. There are other good reasons to create a home inventory other than for insurance purposes as shown below.
Divorce:
Divorce is not typically something you think about when you get married. It’s also not something that anyone plans for, but sometimes it happens. Part of the process is to split up the property that you and your spouse own. When you initially create a home inventory, you can save time and heartache by not having to do it at a very stressful time in your life.
Downsizing:
At some point in our lives, we need to consider downsizing our belongings. Everyone accumulates a lot of things over the years. We may be moving to a smaller home such as a retirement community, or just have too much clutter. In any case, understanding what we own can only make the process run smoother.
Death:
As mentioned above, we all accumulate a lot of stuff over the years. Estate plans document who will distribute our belongings after we pass away. This is an emotional time for our loved ones that will carry out our final wishes. Clearing out a home with a lifetime of things is a huge undertaking. When you create a home inventory that lists belongings that go to specific people, it makes this task a lot easier.
Stressful life changing situations occur throughout the course of our lives. A home inventory will make it easier to deal with tangible things as we work through these situations. Being proactive by documenting the contents of your home now, will help reduce stress in the future.
