Home Possession Docuimentation: Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent, broker and Adjuster, and having followed the news of the horrendous weather across this country...

CajunLou Loc: SW Louisiana

Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent, broker and Adjuster, and having followed the news of the horrendous weather across this country, even back to the fires in the west, I wonder how many of our fellow Hoggers are complacent about having adequate proof of home and possessions. With the advent of digital, it is so easy to document all one owns, so here are some of the rules that I always emphasized to those in attendance at my seminars:
1. Stand in the middle of each rom in your home and take a picture of the funiture and wall, all 4 walls.
2. Take a picture of your private possessions: photo equip., firearms, artwork, prized collectables, family jewelry (these you should spread out on a good background to be able to identify each item). The more pics the better.
3. Scan as many receipts that you still have.
4. Down load all photos unto a cd or thumbdrive even better, in fact 2 or 3 copies backup even better.
5. Looking at each picture, rename the file according to the location in your home, ie: BR1-1, BR1-2, BR1-3 and BRl-4 for the 4 walls and furniture in your main bedroom, and follow through with the LV, DR, UtR, etc. even the garage where lawn equip, etc is stored.
6. Sit down and look at each picture and write a discription of each iterm in the picuture, age, price and today's approx. value.
7.Take pictures of the outside of your home, from all angles, even though the agent usually does this, the quality is not always that good, I remember the days of the Poloraids.
8. Now this is an important part. Bring a copy of the drive to your agent to be put in your file, and exchange with a friend or family member living some distance away from you. In the event of a disaster, just think ow much faster the insurance adjuster can resolve your case instead of having to go through all the rubble and try to document what was lost. Also if it should wind up in court, your attorney would have a very powerful case with your documentation.
10. Now I hope and pray that you do all these things and never need to use, but you would be prepared if needed.
CajunLou

HEART Loc: God's Country - COLORADO

Excellent advice, Lou! Have a friend who has been battling with the insurance co over her home that was lost here in Colorado's fires in 2012. She had multiple sewing machines, with countless feet and accessories; unable to provide proof. Can't even think of rebuilding because she can't document her loses. Been a bad experience for she and her husband. Thanks for the post!

St3v3M Loc: 35,000 feet

Thank you!

berchman Loc: South Central PA

Number 6 is a work of many, many weeks (for me, at least, with the huge number of "things" owned).

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

CajunLou wrote:

Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent, broker and Adjuster, and having followed the news of the horrendous weather across this country, even back to the fires in the west, I wonder how many of our fellow Hoggers are complacent about having adequate proof of home and possessions. With the advent of digital, it is so easy to document all one owns, so here are some of the rules that I always emphasized to those in attendance at my seminars:
1. Stand in the middle of each rom in your home and take a picture of the funiture and wall, all 4 walls.
2. Take a picture of your private possessions: photo equip., firearms, artwork, prized collectables, family jewelry (these you should spread out on a good background to be able to identify each item). The more pics the better.
3. Scan as many receipts that you still have.
4. Down load all photos unto a cd or thumbdrive even better, in fact 2 or 3 copies backup even better.
5. Looking at each picture, rename the file according to the location in your home, ie: BR1-1, BR1-2, BR1-3 and BRl-4 for the 4 walls and furniture in your main bedroom, and follow through with the LV, DR, UtR, etc. even the garage where lawn equip, etc is stored.
6. Sit down and look at each picture and write a discription of each iterm in the picuture, age, price and today's approx. value.
7.Take pictures of the outside of your home, from all angles, even though the agent usually does this, the quality is not always that good, I remember the days of the Poloraids.
8. Now this is an important part. Bring a copy of the drive to your agent to be put in your file, and exchange with a friend or family member living some distance away from you. In the event of a disaster, just think ow much faster the insurance adjuster can resolve your case instead of having to go through all the rubble and try to document what was lost. Also if it should wind up in court, your attorney would have a very powerful case with your documentation.
10. Now I hope and pray that you do all these things and never need to use, but you would be prepared if needed.
CajunLou

Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent... (show quote)

Thanks Lou, great advice.

CajunLou Loc: SW Louisiana

Thanks Baton Rouge! Don't forget the studio also and the many clothes closets, a fortune in those.

HOHIMER

CajunLou wrote:

Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent, broker and Adjuster, and having followed the news of the horrendous weather across this country, even back to the fires in the west, I wonder how many of our fellow Hoggers are complacent about having adequate proof of home and possessions. With the advent of digital, it is so easy to document all one owns, so here are some of the rules that I always emphasized to those in attendance at my seminars:
1. Stand in the middle of each rom in your home and take a picture of the funiture and wall, all 4 walls.
2. Take a picture of your private possessions: photo equip., firearms, artwork, prized collectables, family jewelry (these you should spread out on a good background to be able to identify each item). The more pics the better.
3. Scan as many receipts that you still have.
4. Down load all photos unto a cd or thumbdrive even better, in fact 2 or 3 copies backup even better.
5. Looking at each picture, rename the file according to the location in your home, ie: BR1-1, BR1-2, BR1-3 and BRl-4 for the 4 walls and furniture in your main bedroom, and follow through with the LV, DR, UtR, etc. even the garage where lawn equip, etc is stored.
6. Sit down and look at each picture and write a discription of each iterm in the picuture, age, price and today's approx. value.
7.Take pictures of the outside of your home, from all angles, even though the agent usually does this, the quality is not always that good, I remember the days of the Poloraids.
8. Now this is an important part. Bring a copy of the drive to your agent to be put in your file, and exchange with a friend or family member living some distance away from you. In the event of a disaster, just think ow much faster the insurance adjuster can resolve your case instead of having to go through all the rubble and try to document what was lost. Also if it should wind up in court, your attorney would have a very powerful case with your documentation.
10. Now I hope and pray that you do all these things and never need to use, but you would be prepared if needed.
CajunLou

Having worked in Insurance for many decades, agent... (show quote)

Here are some other important areas to photograph; closets, cabinets, shelves, drawers, detached structures, hobby areas, basements, sheds, patios, trunks, storage boxes.

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

Thanks for your excellent advice, Lou! But also, thanks for caring about us enough to post this!

STARFIRE Loc: North Carolina

I am in the process of doing this right now. This was a big help. Thank you Lou :)

Jay