How to Make a Video Home Inventory

If you own your home, you may know that it's important to have a home inventory. In the event of a burglary, fire or other incident, a home inventory can help ensure that you receive fair compensation from your homeowners insurance company. However, creating a home inventory on paper can be time consuming and tedious. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to make a home inventory if you use a video camera.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Video camera

1. Obtain a video camera. If you don't already own one, borrow one from a friend or rent one from a rental facility. This may even be a good time to consider purchasing one, especially if you've considered it in the past.

2. Clean your house. Surprisingly, it's easier to get an accurate video of your home if it's clean. Do your best to declutter and straighten up before you begin filming your video home inventory.

3. Choose a room. Pick the room where you'd like to begin. It's best to do your home in an organized fashion so you don't miss any rooms or belongings. Top to bottom or north to south are possible options.

4. Record the date. Make sure you record your name, the date, the time and the location of your home on the video tape. This will help avoid confusion, especially if you make additional tapes at a later date.

5. Video your belongings. Move slowly through your home and videotape your belongings, pausing on specific items. To keep this simple, consider the big picture, too. You don't need to pause on every single item of clothing. Instead, slowly pan through the entire closet to get an overview of the amount and styles of clothes you own.

6. Narrate. Make sure you narrate through the entire process. Point out any items of high value, such as expensive electronics, appliances or jewelry. If you remember their approximate cost, be sure to mention this in the narration as well. It's easier to remember the prices of items when you're making your inventory than when you're under stress after a recent burglary.

7. Store it in a safe place. Once you've finished your video home inventory, make sure you store a copy of it in a safe place. One good choice is a safe deposit box in your bank where it will be safe from both fire and burglary.

[militops]

on 6/3/2008 I think you may prepare a big hard drive to store huge videos.