It happened early this morning. They slept through the smoke detector alarms, but luckily the family dog woke them up. Everyone got out okay. But their home is is now a black hole. It's frightening but with a 'no loss of life outcome,' everything else is secondary.
I'm blogging because my client's found themselves with an insurance person for hours today, trying to recreate every little thing in their home. Thankfully they have insurance, but what they did not have, was an itemization of what they owned. Many of us in the Rain Puddle have blogged about First Time Home Buyers (FTHB's) and for sure, this key point would be a good thing for all of us to mention to them when they get the keys.
Take photos of your rooms, your closets, everything. The photos can be done easily, digitally, but don't just keep the photos on your laptops because the laptops might burn up in a fire - it's reality.
Itemize your belongings. Clothes, shoes, books, cookware, everything. Jewelery. If you have an attached garage, itemize everything in there as well. Some (most?) insurance companies will provide you with itemization sheets. If they don't, do it anyway. As you add things to your 'inventory - new computers, phones, pagers, etc., take the photos and add to your list. Did you, Mr. Client, go to an art show and buy a painting? Take a photo, take the artists info and purchase receipt.
Now that you have accumulated photos and items? Get a safety deposit box at a bank. Yes you can store an itemized list and digital photos on a website and retrieve it from some one else's home that has NOT burned down. But what about the necessary receipts? I still think a safety deposit box is the best bet. Did I miss anything? What other tips do you knowledgeable Rainers have on this topic? Up until this point, I sometimes told clients to itemize; but now, you better believe that I will always be discussing this issue with them.
And thankfully, the material items are all that was lost in this morning's fire.
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