Document your belongings in case of a disaster and always keep your family safe with our Hawaii Home Insurance!

12/31/2011 12:00:00 AM
Have you created a home inventory yet? A homeowner who does not have an up-to-date home inventory is at risk of being unable to support a claim for insurance compensation. A home inventory helps you estimate how much your possessions are worth when you review your Hawaii home insurance coverage. It’s also an important document to prove the value and ownership of your belongings, and can be a useful checklist so that no item is forgotten if you need to file an insurance claim after a theft or fire.

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There’s no set format for home inventories and people use a variety of media including handwritten lists, photograph albums, videos, and digital records. Follow these six steps to create a comprehensive home inventory:

1. Start by listing the most valuable of your possessions, like artworks and jewelry, and go on to list home appliances, collections, and furniture.
2. Add commonplace possessions like hand tools, linen and bedding, clothing, CDs and DVDs, and sports equipment. Don’t forget to include the contents of closets and drawers.
3. Take photographs of each item and record details such as description, model and serial numbers, age, purchase price, and current value. Attach sales receipts, appraisal certificates, and other evidence of value or ownership.
4. Separate the list into logical sections, such as furniture, electronic equipment, personal items etc.
5. Store your home inventory in a safe place like a fire proof box, deposit box or online file.
6. Keep your inventory up to date by adding new major purchases and regularly reviewing the value of big-ticket items.

Don’t be discouraged if some documents like sales receipts are unavailable; it’s far better to have a partial list than nothing at all. Spend some time creating your home inventory right now and save yourself time and hassle every time you review your Hawaii home insurance coverage!


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