- 1). Begin with a camera walk-through of your entire house. Open closets and drawers, and pay close attention to bookshelves with movie collections or books. Take good pictures of furniture and appliances as well. Burn the digital photos to a DVD or place the videotape in a fireproof box. Better yet, keep the records off the premises in a safety deposit box or at someone else's home.
- 2). Gather all your warranties, receipts and insurance policies. Make a list of your home electronics with make, model and serial numbers and add these to the box.
- 3). Pick a room to start with and get a notebook or word processor. Start by simply listing the really big things in the room, the ones that are easiest to remember. It can be fun to do this without being in the room to see how hard it would be without the list if you ever had an emergency. Then methodically go through the room and write down everything in it. This can take hours and be tedious if you are in a room with numerous small items like CDs, books or DVDs.
- 4). Inventory things like clothing and jewelry as you add them to the list. Take the opportunity to get rid of things that you no longer use. Consider having jewelry appraised if you do not know what it is worth, and be sure to check your policy limits to be certain that all your valuables are covered. Many policies have a $1,000 limit for jewelry unless it is listed specifically. Make a note of exactly how many pairs of jeans and shoes you have so that they are covered by the policy.
- 5). Search the garage, attic and basement for other items that you may have forgotten. Add the grill, lawn furniture and other items that may be outside. Be sure to include everything, because even the little things add up. Things people often forget include contents of the medicine cabinet, off-season clothing or sports gear, and items stored in out-of-the-way places like closet shelves.
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