Creating a Home Inventory

Included in most Homeowners, Condo-Owners, and Renters policies is coverage for the contents of your home.  Do you know how much coverage you need if you had to replace everything in your house?  Would you know what you had in each room of your home in the event of a claim?

Keeping an inventory is helpful to know how much coverage you need, and to have a list of your contents in the event of a claim such as a break-in, a fire claim, or other claim.

There are several different ways to create an inventory – pick a method that works best for you.  Keep a copy of the inventory someplace other than your home.  It is recommended that your attorney or executor of your estate have a copy as well.  You can also leave a copy with a trusted family member or emergency contact.

Ways to keep an inventory:

• Written List  
• Digital List (Online with a Google Doc or Excel Spreadsheet) 
• Pictures/Videos - this is especially recommended for more valuable items.  If you are taking a video, audibly describe items as you move through your home. 
• Combination of above 

It is recommended that you take inventory by room within your house.  Make sure to take photos from different angles and in a well-lit room.  You can also use sticky notes to label certain items.  Keep receipts or appraisals of higher-priced items.  For electronics and appliances, it is recommended to also include the model number and serial numbers of each item.  Don’t forget to include your garage, shed, deck, and basement when you are completing your inventory. 

One example of how you could set-up your inventory digitally would be to use Google Docs.  Create a folder called “Home Inventory”.  Within the folder, you could upload photos/videos of each room.  An inventory would be created with either Google Docs or Google Sheets (similar to Excel); create a separate page for each room. If you are working on the inventory with another household member such as a spouse, you could share the folder and give them editing rights so that they can also modify the inventory.  You could also share the folder with your attorney, executor, or emergency contact with viewing rights so that they have a copy as well, or you could give them a hard copy to keep as a back-up for you.

A few times a year, review your inventory to add new items or remove items that you have gotten rid of.  Make it a habit to update your inventory when you add new purchases to your home.

As you are doing an inventory of your house and come across special or high-value items such as jewelry, art, cameras or coin collections, you might want to talk with your agent about insuring these items as Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) on your policy.  Here is a blog giving more information about SPP, but you can also reach out to your agent for more specific information.

You've Got Some Q's: We've Got the A's

Q:  I am a pizza delivery driver and I hit another vehicle.  My policy will cover the damage, right?

A:  NO.  A personal auto policy will not cover a vehicle being used for delivery purposes.  The same policy will also not cover paid-for snowplowing or people transportation (i.e. taxis).

You would need to have a commercial auto policy in order to cover this vehicle and the liability properly.

If you engage in these types of business, call your Absolute Agent today to ensure you have the right policy!


Q:  I failed to pay the renewal, but companies have a grace period, right?

A:  NO.  If the renewal payment has not been paid, then there is no coverage at that moment.  There are no grace periods on renewal payments as the policy period has expired.  These are handled differently than regular monthly bills that do have a short grace period.


Q:  How often should I get my jewelry appraised in order to keep it as a separate rider on my insurance policy.

A:  You'll want to get such things appraised about every 3-5 years.  This is in your best interest as the price of gold and precious metals and stones have increased drastically over the past 2 years.  For instance, if you had a ring appraised in 2002 and it came to a value of $2,000 and now it would appraise at $10,000 in order to replace, then the company would only be responsible for providing the $2,000 in coverage.  As you can see, given the vast increases in value on these types of things, it is very important to update these every 3-5 years.

Back to School: Kids in College

As the days slowly close out sooner and the weather begins to cool down, we know it is time for recent high school grads to ship off to college and start their higher education process.  This is a wonderful time for both parents and students alike, but also one that can be emotionally and financially depleting.  As your student goes away to school, some interesting problems can develop in terms of how to cover the property of the new student while living outside the home.

To begin, living arrangements for new students can vary widely, whether they must stay in the dorms or our living in an apartment, or rented home.  Some other issues may present themselves as to whether the student will return home for the breaks and summer, or will they have a permanent address while living in the college town.  Some of the answers to these situations may lead you down different paths for the proper coverage of the students property.

While most companies are willing to extend the personal property out to the student in the event that they are full-time students and their permanent address is still at home, there can be variances on how things are covered in the event that they live in an apartment and consider that their permanent mailing address.

Another aspect to consider is the fact that some of these students will be operating a vehicle while at school and it will become important to correct the vehicle garaging zip code.

Consult your Absolute Agent and describe your situation in order to ensure you have the correct coverage for you and your college student.

You've Got Some Q's: We've Got the A's

Q:  My wife lost her wedding ring while we were on vacation.  Is this covered under my house insurance?

A:  No.  It would have to be stolen in order to be covered UNLESS it was scheduled on the home policy as "Scheduled Personal Property"


Q:  A tree has landed on my house and has caused damage to my home.  Will insurance replace the tree?

A:  No.  Home insurance protects your home and detached structures.  Trees are not covered.


Q:  My vehicle was broken into and personal property was stolen, is this covered under my full coverage auto insurance?

A:  No.  Only items that were attached to the vehicle as stock items are covered.  Personal property losses would only be covered under a home, renters, condo/townhome, or mobile home policy.  Auto insurance never covers personal property.


Q:  Water came up through my sewer drain and destroyed my roommate's belongings.  Will my homeowners insurance cover this?

A:  No.  Your home insurance will cover only those things belonging to you or a family member.  Unless you have Water Back-up coverage, your home insurance would not even cover your belongings.  In this situation, your roommate would need to get a renters insurance policy to cover their belongings in an event of a loss, and in this situation, they would also need to have the renters insurance policy endorsed with the Water Back-up of Sewers and Drains coverage in order to be protected.

Claims: Q and A

Q:  I own a home and my girlfriend just moved in, is her stuff covered under my home insurance?

A:  No.  Since she is not a relative, there is no automatic coverage for her belongings or liability.  In most cases, there is an endorsement that can be added to the policy to cover her.  In other cases the best thing would be to establish a renters insurance policy.  Either way you go, these are relatively cheap fixes to a little known coverage gap for both property and liability.


Q:  My basement wall is bowing and I'm afraid that it will eventually fall in.  Will my home insurance cover this?

A:  No.  This is a matter of neglected upkeep on the home.  Just as your home insurance will not pay to replace a roof that is deteriorated from normal wear and tear, it will not pay for the repair to the normal pressure of the earth against the foundation walls.  Insurance is protection against sudden and accidental risks, not risks that persist over time and have been neglected.


Q:  If I have an accident that is my fault, will my full coverage pay for a rental car?

A:  No.  Comprehensive and Collision coverage do not pay for rental car reimbursement.  That coverage needs to be endorsed to the policy in order for the coverage to be in effect.  The same applied to Roadside assistance or towing & labor.  Full coverage merely covers physical damage.