How to make a home inventory for insurance

Published September 20, 2026 · 8 minute read

If your home were hit by a fire, a burst pipe or a break-in, you would have to tell your insurer exactly what you lost. A home inventory is a written record of what you own, where it is and what it is worth. Made in advance, it makes a claim faster and less stressful, and it shows you whether your cover is enough.

General information only. This guide is not insurance or legal advice. Policies and insurers differ, so check the details with yours.

1. Check what your insurer expects

Before you start, spend ten minutes with your policy documents or your insurer’s website. Look for:

• What they ask for after a loss. Lists, receipts, photos, proof of value.
• Replacement cost or actual cash value. Some policies pay what it costs to buy a new equivalent. Others pay what the item was worth after wear and age. For older items the difference can be large.
• Limits for certain categories. Jewelry, watches, art, cash, electronics and items kept in a shed or garage often have their own limits.
• Whether valuables must be listed separately to be covered in full.
• Whether the insurer has its own inventory form or app. If it does, you may be able to use it, or copy your list into it.

You do not need to memorize the answers. Write them at the top of your inventory so you can find them in a hurry.

2. Choose a format you will keep up to date

An inventory is only useful if it is current, so pick the simplest format you will really maintain.

• Paper notebook. Cheap and easy, but it can burn with the house unless you keep a copy somewhere else, and it is hard to search.
• Spreadsheet. Flexible and free. We have a free CSV template that opens in Excel or Google Sheets.
• An inventory app. Makes searching, sorting and totaling quick. ConsoleMeNow is one, and there are others.
• Your insurer’s tool, if it offers one.

3. Work through it room by room

Start with the room that holds the most valuable things and work outward. Do not forget the places people skip: the garage, shed, attic, basement, any storage unit, and anything kept outdoors. Open every drawer, cupboard and closet.

You do not have to list every spoon. Record valuable items one by one, and group low-value things together with an estimate, for example “Kitchen utensils, about 40 pieces, around $200.” Many people list separately anything worth more than $50 or $100 and group the rest. Choose a threshold that suits you and stick to it.

4. What to record for each item

If you are short of time, record the name, brand, model and value for everything first. Then add serial numbers for anything worth more than about $100.

5. Take photos and a video

Photos are some of the strongest evidence of what you owned. A simple routine works well:

1. Film a walkthrough. Go slowly through each room, open drawers and cupboards, and say out loud what you are showing.
2. Take close-ups of serial number labels and of valuable items.
3. Photograph receipts, invoices and appraisals.
4. Keep them together in a clearly named album or folder, such as “Home inventory 2026”, and note the date.

Check that your phone’s cloud backup is on, and copy the files to a second place too.

6. Take extra care with valuables

Jewelry, watches, art, collectibles, musical instruments and cameras deserve their own attention. Keep any appraisal or certificate. Photograph each piece from several angles, with a ruler beside it for scale. Ask your insurer whether it must be listed individually, and review the values every few years, because prices and replacement costs move.

7. Store copies safely

A fire can destroy the inventory along with everything else, so keep at least two copies and at least one away from home. Cloud storage protected by two-step verification works well. You can also give a copy to a trusted relative. Serial numbers and values are sensitive, so do not leave a full list where strangers could see it.

8. Keep it up to date

• Set a yearly reminder, ideally when your policy renews.
• Add new purchases within a few weeks.
• Mark things you sell, give away or throw out.
• Update values for anything that has gained or lost a lot.
• After a renovation, a move or an inheritance, redo the affected rooms.

9. If you need to make a claim

• Contact your insurer promptly and ask what they need.
• Send your inventory with the photos and any receipts.
• Do not throw away damaged items until the insurer says you may. An adjuster may want to see them.
• For theft, report it to the police and note the report number.
• Keep receipts for emergency costs and replacements.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting until after a loss.
• Keeping the only copy inside the house.
• Writing “TV” with no brand, model or value.
• Forgetting the garage, shed, attic and outbuildings.
• Photographing everything but never writing down values, or the reverse.
• Never updating it.

Common questions

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