How to Document Your Belongings for Insurance
July 14, 2026 · 5 min read
If your home is ever damaged or burgled, your insurer will ask you to itemize what you lost — often from memory, under stress. A home inventory prepared in advance makes that process dramatically easier. Here’s how to do it right.
Photograph everything of value
Go room by room and capture a clear photo of each significant item. Wide shots of the room plus close-ups of valuables give useful context for an adjuster.
Record the details that matter
- Item name and description
- Approximate value and purchase date
- Serial or model numbers for electronics
- Receipts and warranties where you have them
In iFoundIt you can add these as notes and even photograph receipts as their own items, so proof of value stays with the item.
Keep it somewhere safe
A list that burns with your house is no use. Store your inventory in the cloud so it’s safe off-site, and export a PDF you can hand to your insurer.
Update it periodically
Add big new purchases as you make them and review once a year. Ten minutes now can save hours during a claim.
This article is general information, not insurance advice — always follow your own policy’s requirements.
Download iFoundIt free and get claim-ready before you ever need to be.