It is important you develop an inventory of your property, including personal possessions, clothing, yard equipment, etc. Most people couldn't list all the items in their living room, without looking. Make a written inventory now so later you'll know what's been lost. A video or digital record also becomes extremely useful during the claims process.
A household inventory is one of the most important documents that a homeowner will ever have. It lists all of the items contained in a house and their net worth. When homeowners are faced with replacing home items, this list serves as a starting point. It can also pinpoint whether the homeowner needs to increase insurance coverage.
Information to Include
Most household inventories contain specific information on the household object including model number, brand name, dealer’s name, and a general description of the item and condition.
A household inventory comes in many forms. Some of the most common are hand-written paper documents, filled in with pencil or pen, or a spreadsheet saved on the computer. More and more people are catching on to what can be done with computer technology and are creating audio and video files for their inventory. Other homeowners are recording all of their possessions in photographs. Just remember that it's always best (though not required) to have a visual when dealing with insurance companies. Always try to capture serial numbers whenever possible.
No matter which medium is chosen for the household inventory, the best way to go about compiling it is to just start. Be sure to update this inventory each year and as items are removed or added.