Can You List From Memory Everything That's in Your House?

That's what you'd have to do if something happened to destroy it all. It's important to make a record of your belongings so you can be reimbursed by insurance.

By Karl Susman, CPCU, LUTCF, CIC, CSFP, CFS, CPIA, AAI-M, PLCS

published 4 October 2024

in Features

A woman takes video of the contents of her living room.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When was the last time you really took a long, hard look at the inside of your home? I mean, really took a good, solid look at what you have. Let me tell you a story about why it is important that you do so — and do it as soon as possible.

You likely have a bed. TV? While these days they are bigger and cheaper than ever, and most of the latest generation still simply watch their private glass rectangles, chances are you have at least one television. Is it safe to say that many of us don’t have DVD or Blu-ray players, stereos or even DVRs anymore? I suspect so.

How about your clothing? If you remember the news about Imelda Marcos and her closet of thousands of shoes, then you know the image I have anytime I think about a closet. I’m always proud to remind my bride of 31 years that when we met, I owned two pairs of shoes — tennis shoes and black loafers. Time marches on, and the closet fills up.

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You also have to think about the computers. That is probably where we spend a whole lotta our hard-earned buckies. Macs, PCs, and if you’re a gamer, I won’t even get started on the dollars you shell out for your monitors, speakers, and we’re just getting started. Computer equipment really does add up.

OK, why talk about this? Let me get to that now.

You never know when something could destroy it all

After one of the many devastating wildfires that hit California, I was speaking with a client whose home burned to the ground. I’m not talking about having a shell of the home left. I’m talking about there literally not being anything left other than the concrete slab. I walked the space with him, and we were actually able to make out, melted into the concrete, remnants of a pool table that once was the center of attention in the basement. Everything was gone.

The monumental loss experienced by someone who one day can lose all of their worldly possessions truly cannot be expressed in a few sentences, so I won’t even try. Yet, even after the last of the ashes blew away, and we made that visit to the slab of concrete that once held it all, a new panic became all to clear: How could he ever know everything that was there so he could properly file his insurance claim and start rebuilding?

The physical house, whose construction required building permits (a tangible record of what was involved and what it cost), seemed doable. There was clear documentation on the bones of the place. Sure, they might have done some minor upgrades without getting permits, but they were nothing earth-shattering. The house could be rebuilt.

But what about all of his stuff?

He kept closing his eyes and telling me, “I had this, and I had that.” I told him, “Start your phone’s recorder and take notes. Lots of notes. Things will continue to come to you a little at a time and a lot.” I told him to refer to photos and video clips taken in the house, anything he had that was, thankfully, backed up in the cloud.

What a job that would be, though, to study every frame of a video clip to see what’s in the background. Ignore the people, look at the stuff. Oh yeah, a shelf there, a sky pipe there. This room had old carpet, but the other room was upgraded to hardwood. The bathroom had the least photos to examine. A good thing.

So he embarked on the arduous process of looking at photos and videos and recording voice memos to describe what he used to have. The memories of his belongings came in waves, as did the fact that many items could not be repurchased or replaced — such as the ring his grandmother had managed to hold on to while being held in a concentration camp during the Holocaust.

So what am I getting at here?

You can’t depend only on your memories

While we can do all we can to prevent losses from happening — for instance, undertaking a process called home hardening to help protect our valuables from wildfires — losses can and will still happen. Just last week, Hurricane Helene caused massive damage across Florida and the Southeast. It is bad enough — no, it is awful enough to lose it all, but what can be even worse is not being able to remember what it is you’ve lost.

When you’re done reading this article, pick up your phone (in landscape mode, for goodness sake) and start the video recorder. Walk around your house — capture every room, every nook and cranny. Be sure you go everywhere, from the garage to the bathrooms to the basement. Open each cabinet and each drawer. Document it all.

If you are ever so unfortunate as to suffer a catastrophic loss, this video, or videos, will remind you what you had in your house. It will be one less thing to torment you while you’re recovering.

Disclaimer

This article was written by and presents the views of our contributing adviser, not the Kiplinger editorial staff. You can check adviser records with the SEC or with FINRA.

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Karl Susman is a veteran insurance agency principal, nationally engaged insurance expert witness and broadcast host who translates insurance from jargon to judgment. For more than three decades, he's helped consumers, courts and policymakers navigate coverage, claims and compliance. As Principal of Susman Insurance Agency, Karl works directly with households and businesses to compare options and make clear, defensible coverage decisions.