After a burglary, fire or flood, your insurer asks you to prove what you owned — usually within a few weeks. The way to make a claim go smoothly is to build a documented home inventory now, before any loss happens.
Why you document before a loss, not after
When something is stolen or destroyed, you cannot photograph it anymore. Yet that is exactly when your insurer needs proof of ownership: an item list, photos, receipts, model numbers and purchase dates. Most people do not have this ready and end up reconstructing it from memory under time pressure. A home inventory built in calm conditions becomes your evidence when you need it most.
What insurers actually ask for
Requirements vary by policy, but most contents claims call for the same core evidence. Have these ready for each significant item:
- Photos of the item, clearly showing condition and any brand marks
- Receipts or proof of purchase where you still have them
- Model and serial numbers for electronics and appliances
- Purchase date and approximate price
- An estimated value — both replacement value and current resale value
Work room by room
The simplest reliable method is to go through your home one room at a time — living room, kitchen, bedrooms, hallway, basement, garage. A room-by-room structure stops you from missing whole categories and makes the final list easy for an adjuster to follow. Open drawers, wardrobes and cupboards; small high-value items like jewellery, tools and cameras are the ones most often forgotten.
What to capture for each item
For every item worth claiming, record a photo, the receipt if you have it, the model or serial number, the purchase date and an estimated value. This is where an app saves real time: with Vavaro you photograph an item or scan its barcode, and it identifies the item, fills in details, assigns it to a room and estimates its value — both replacement value and resale value. You can attach photos, receipts, manuals and warranty documents directly to each item, so the evidence lives in one place.
Keep it current
An inventory is only useful if it reflects what you actually own today. Add new purchases when they arrive, remove things you have sold or discarded, and revisit the list once or twice a year. A few minutes at a time keeps it accurate without it ever becoming a chore — and means you are never scrambling after a loss.
Assemble a ready-to-send claim pack
When you do need to file, your insurer wants everything in one clear package, not scattered across folders and your phone’s camera roll. Vavaro can produce a claim pack: a single export with a PDF report, a spreadsheet (CSV) and your original photos and documents, organised by room and item, ready to send. Your data stays on your device unless you sign in for an optional cloud backup.
Document your home in an afternoon
Start a room-by-room inventory now, so a future claim is a formality rather than a scramble.
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