Make a Reality Show of Your Personal Items

When bad things happen to good people, it’s also a chance to learn something new.

After a fire destroyed his house in 2010, Brad, PropertyRoom.com’s Marketing Coorindator, knew he would have to figure out what was salvageable for insurance claim purposes.

“It’s a long and painful process, and extremely exhausting, both physically and emotionally,” he said. “You go in with masks and gloves and have to literally sort through the rubble of your life.”

When he finally moved into a new home a year later, Brad took the advice of his insurance company and the fire department and grabbed a video camera to do an inventory of all of his personal property, taking care to open every drawer, door, and cabinet, and film everything. Also try to record any serial numbers or model numbers if possible.

While Brad’s story involves a fire, it’s the same advice that your local police department would suggest in order to protect yourself from a theft or any other ordeal.

“Save a copy of it and put it someplace other than your house,” he said. “If anything ever does happen, you’ve got a physical record you can go back and look at so you’re sure that you’re not forgetting or missing anything.”