How to make a home inventory for insurance

If you ever file a claim after a fire, flood, or theft, your insurer will ask you to prove what you owned. A home inventory — a documented list of your belongings with photos and values — is the difference between a fast, full payout and a stressful back-and-forth. Here's a simple way to build one.

1. Go room by room

Work through one room at a time so nothing gets missed: living room, kitchen, each bedroom, garage, and storage. For each item, capture a photo, the estimated replacement value, and a serial or model number for anything electronic.

2. Prioritize the expensive and the easily forgotten

Electronics, appliances, jewelry, tools, and furniture matter most. But adjusters also see people forget the small stuff that adds up — kitchenware, clothing, and decor. Photos make these credible without itemizing every fork.

3. Keep it somewhere it won't burn with the house

A list stored only on paper in a drawer is useless after a fire. Keep a digital copy off-site — and export a PDF backup you can email to yourself or your agent.

4. Do it in minutes, free

Toolkind's free Home Inventory runs in your browser, works offline, and keeps your photos private on your device. Snap a photo per item, add a value, and export an insurer-ready PDF with a total and a picture of everything — no account, no upload.

Start your free home inventory
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