Your Home column: Why you need a home inventory and how to make one

A home inventory is pretty much what it sounds like. It's a comprehensive list of your personal property at your residence to prepare you and your family for storm season and other emergencies. For many homeowners, this is recommended by your insurance company and is especially helpful in the event of a claim.

Why do I need a home inventory? Should a loss occur, your insurance company will ask you to produce a detailed inventory of all damaged or stolen property. By preparing a home inventory ahead of time, your claim representative can start analyzing your losses sooner.

What should I include in my home inventory? Everything! Your home inventory list should include any personal property that you want to ensure is documented in the event of a loss. First, ask your insurance agent or, insurance company to see what information they may require.

How do I make a home inventory? There are many ways you can approach making a home inventory. Once you know what's required, you can choose the method for capturing the information that's best for you.

Update your home inventory annually. Once you create your home inventory, don't forget to set a reminder on your calendar to update it at least yearly. This is also a good time to consider reaching out to your insurance agent if you made any significant improvements to your home over the year and to review your limits on personal property compared to your updated inventory.

Store your home inventory securely. Also, almost as important as creating the inventory is finding a safe and accessible place to store it. If you're creating a physical/paper inventory, a firesafe lockbox is a great place to store it.

Creating a home inventory is worth the effort and can save you and your family a lot of time and stress down the road. For questions regarding insurance coverage call 402-704-2145. Content for this advertisement provided by Auto-Owners and Nik Beninato at DPA Insurance Services, 620 E 23rd Street, Fremont.