What to do with Your Personal Property Before an Insurance Claim

Your personal property is the most sentimental part of any insurance claim. Furthermore, the contents are also the most tedious to adjust. Typically, it’s stated in your policy that you, as the policyholder, are responsible to provide the contents damages to the insurance company. However, some insurance companies do aid in doing their own inventory of your home after a loss. In our experience, insurance companies miss many things and only pricing the high-priced items. By completing a few tasks before an insurance claim, the time saved and your likelihood of a higher compensation will dramatically increase.

Before a Loss
Hopefully, a large loss never happens to you. But, being prepared is crucial if this does occur. Most of these things can be done without professional help. Here is a list of things you can do to ease your personal property adjustment process.

Keep Your Receipts
Keeping your receipts is essential in proving the worth and date in which something was purchased. Luckily, most of us purchase things online and with credit cards that keep extensive records of these purchases. Obviously, smaller things that are purchased such as food and other quickly used things can go without a receipt. However, any expensive item you purchase should have a record either by you or the story for as long as you plan on keeping that item. Providing receipts if a large loss does occur will quickly prove the item’s ownership and expedite your compensation.

Keep Your Pictures
Pictures of you and your family are excellent ways to show proof of lost items. For some public adjusters, entire inventories are conducted based on the personal property visible in the background even though you and your family are the focal points. The pictures to keep include any birthday parties, family gatherings, holidays. Essentially, any picture of your home before the loss is important to keep. Lastly, try to keep these photos somewhere safe away from any potential damage such as a storage platform that can be accessed from any electronic device. If you have a photo album or flash drive, these can still be lost or damage during a disaster.
Taking Pictures/Video of Your Property
Keeping pictures, as stated above, is important in being prepared for a future insurance loss. However, if you want to take your reassurance a step further, you can take time and have a picture of every item in your home. This is easiest if you take general pictures of common items such as items in your kitchen. Note, do take the time to take more specific pictures of antique and high-value items. These pictures should include details of relative dimensions, price tags, or model numbers. You can expedite this process by taking a recording or several recordings of your personal property. Again, if you choose to do this, take extra time on the bigger ticket items documenting the dimensions, brand, model numbers, etc.
Pre-Loss Inventory
A pre-loss inventory can be done by you but can take up a significant amount of your time. If you choose to do this, be sure to have photos, ages, and accurate prices for your content. This is a very tedious endeavor but can save you months of heartache in the end. There are some companies that provide inventory services, but their prices can be quite high.
As your items are replaced in your home, be sure to repeat some of these processes periodically to ensure your personal property is up to date. Doing the latter two every few years will guarantee an easier and quicker compensation process in the event of an insurance claim. If you have more questions on how to prepare for an insurance claim or if you have an insurance claim and need help with the inventory contact Brown O’Haver.