When a natural disaster or some kind of issue occurs where your home is damaged, you may reach out to your insurance company for support. Not only can they provide compensation for the damages to the structure of the house, but they may also be able to provide money for your possessions that were ruined due to the tragedy. However, these possessions must already be known to the insurance company. In order to be able to do this later on, you should have already claimed valuable possessions in your insurance policy. They may not pay you for these damaged goods if there is no proof that it was your property. To avoid this situation, you can take an inventory of all your possessions that prove to be more valuable. This can be in monetary value or sentimental value. The greater amount of inventory that can be presented to the insurance company, the greater financial recovery that you may be given by the company, which can help you get back on track.

How do I create an inventory?

The most important thing to remember is that an inventory should be made before a disaster has occurred. This can be more beneficial for a family or individual. Creating an inventory can be a simple process. You can go through your home and make a list of items that seem to be valuable. You can simply walk from floor to floor and spot items that you would need to be replaced if an accident were to occur where they are destroyed or damaged. Valuable things such as jewelry, home appliances, furniture, electronics and collectibles should be accounted for. When doing this, it can be a good idea to take a picture or a video of a room to provide proof of the items and to make sure you do not forget to list an important item. In the video, you can speak about what items are in the room and try to recall how much you have paid for each item. For smaller items, homeowners may want to come up with a generalization of how much things cost. This can be a good way to handle smaller items such as office supplies, children’s toys, items in a utility closet, among others.

The Law Office of Craig A. Blumberg is an experienced New York City insurance law firm. If you require quality assistance after having suffered property loss, please contact our firm to schedule a free initial consultation.