Do you know what you own? Tips and resources for home inventory documentation

By Arnie Gess

If a fire, flood or other natural disaster causes you to lose your home, do you know what you actually own? What if you came home some evening and your home has been burglarized? Would you automatically know what items were stolen?

It is very important for all Canadians to properly document their household belongings and yet I would wager that the majority of Canadian households do not take this safeguard. When it comes time to work with your insurance company in replacing your possessions, it is advised to have photos, receipts, estimated replacement values and more. It is also important that you keep a copy of this documentation in a safe place outside of your home. Examples include a safety deposit box at your bank, a friend or relative's home or at your office.

It is best to document the inventory in each room in your home as well as your garage and any other out buildings that may be on your property. Also make sure your inventory is updated regularly as you accumulate new possessions. You can easily produce your own documentation in a word document or excel spreadsheet. There are also many resources, software and apps available online to simplify the process.  The resources listed below are in alphabetical order for your reference. These options should help you find a solution for your home inventory documentation:

• Allstate Digital Locker - http://al.st/yS2eP8
• Collectify Home Inventory - http://bit.ly/yH8aAE
• DocuHome - http://bit.ly/Az4OTv
• Evernote - http://bit.ly/y0gIaO
• Everything I Own - http://bit.ly/xNyQP8
• Frostbow Home Inventory - http://bit.ly/ACEIbW
• Home Insurance Claims: Making The Home Inventory Video - http://bit.ly/zShIQ3
• Home Inventory App - http://macw.us/wMKDTk
• Home Inventory Documenting Checklist - http://bit.ly/wgZZn5
• Home Inventory Pro - http://bit.ly/zBiObh
• Home Inventory Spreadsheet - http://bit.ly/yPNf6I
• HomeManage Home Inventory Software - http://bit.ly/zkq7J6
• IInventory App - http://macw.us/ztD97e
• Itemizer App - http://bit.ly/xl1Veg
• Kaizen Home Inventory Software - http://bit.ly/x70BO3
• KnowYourStuff Software - http://bit.ly/yYMfqa
• My ICE Plan - http://bit.ly/xvUpuk
• MyHOME Scr.APP.book - http://bit.ly/xh8zxT
• MyStuff - http://bit.ly/Adeyb5
• My Stuff Deluxe - http://bit.ly/yXGX77
• Oiinow - Online Insurance Inventory - http://bit.ly/wv0Y0Y
• Pro Home Manager Personal - http://bit.ly/zMRnJ4
• Quicken Home Inventory Manager - http://bit.ly/AAjrM0
• What You Own Home Inventory - http://cnet.co/ApKtxN

If documenting your home inventory on your own is not in the cards, there are companies in Canada that can provide this service for you. The most important thing is that you act now before disaster strikes.

About the author:

Arnie Gess is President of Falcon Ridge Group Inc, a sales and marketing consultant for small and medium sized business. Arnie is also the founder and owner of AlbertaHomeOwner.com, BChomeOwner.com and OntarioHomeOwner.com - the regional websites for Canadian homeowners.