Taking Pictures for Insurance Inventories

Taking pictures for insurance inventories can be invaluable when making insurance claims. Visual aids not only prove to the insurance company that the item claimed was owned, but they can also help jog someone’s memory after the trauma of a burglary or fire.

Why Take Pictures for Insurance Claims?
The main reason for taking pictures for insurance inventories is financial. Without proof of ownership, insurance companies usually won’t replace items or cut you a check to cover the costs of replacing them.

The process of taking photos for insurance inventories also reminds people of just how much they own and stand to lose. Many people underestimate the worth of their possessions and aren’t sufficiently insured. Going through the house taking pictures for insurance claims provides a chance to re-evaluate the amount of insurance needed to replace everything in the home.

Insurance inventories are like emergency services: Although you pray you never have to use them, it’s a comfort knowing they’re there if you do end up needing them.

After a break in, fire or other disaster, people are confused and in shock. Being in this distressed state of mind can make it difficult to try to reconstruct what was in the house.

Insurance companies report that people add items to their insurance claims weeks or even months after the initial claim, as they remember valuables they didn’t include. The longer the period between the first claim and successive claims, the less willing insurance companies are to accept the claim. Taking pictures for insurance inventories avoids this problem, as everything is already documented.

Taking Photos for Insurance Inventories
Taking pictures for insurance inventories seems like a simple enough process: Go around the house and photograph everything you own. While this sounds simple enough, it is, in fact, a big job. It’s easier to break things down room by room and to schedule several days when taking photos for insurance inventories.

Start by taking photos of each room from every angle. Although these pictures aren’t going to be your complete photo inventory, they will provide you with some reference points if you need to make insurance claims while you’re still building your photo inventory. Keep negatives or prints of these photos in a safety deposit box.

Break it Down By Room
Next, pick a room to start in and take photos of everything, not just the items you consider valuable. Remember, if you lose everything in a fire, you’ll have to replace wooden spoons and Tupperware, as well as major kitchen appliances and silverware.

Take photos of the inside of pantries and cleaning closets to give insurance adjusters an idea of how many groceries and other essentials could have been lost. Remember: In a worst-case scenario, you could be starting from scratch.

Go through each and every drawer, cupboard and shelf when taking pictures for insurance inventories. On the back of each photo, write the cost of each item and the date it was bought (or your best guess of when you purchased it). Provide as much information as possible.

Close Ups and Backgrounds
Close-up pictures work best when taking photos for insurance inventories, as they provide the maximum amount of detail. It’s a good idea to take several photos of valuable items from several different angles: The more detail included in pictures taken for insurance claims, the better.

Shoot pictures for insurance claims on plain backgrounds whenever possible. Placing each item on a plain background makes it easy to identify individual items. A white blanket makes a good background because of its color and the fact that you can place several items on it at the same time.

Pictures for insurance claims should include the outside of the house. Garden tools, plants, swimming pools, patio furniture and even landscaping should all be carefully photographed.

The Importance of Home Insurance Inventories
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, one out of every 150 U.S homes suffers a fire that destroys property that cannot be adequately identified for insurance purposes.

Cataloging and Storing Pictures for Insurance Claims
It’s easiest to catalog photos for insurance inventories by individual room. Pictures for insurance claims can be stored as negatives, prints or on a CD if a digital camera is used.

Never store your insurance inventories in the home. A safety deposit box is ideal for storing pictures for insurance claims. Failing that, store your insurance photos in a family member’s home that is some distance from your own. Should your home be severely damaged by a fire or flood, you’ll want a copy of your inventory in a safe place.

Digital versus Film
Most insurance companies won’t concern themselves over whether pictures taken for insurance claims are on film or in a digital format.

If an item is exceptionally unusual or expensive, however, film may be better than digital. Film cannot be manipulated as easily as digital images and is less likely to lead to challenges on insurance claims.

Updating Photos for Insurance Inventories
Once you take your photos for insurance inventories, make a habit of keeping them updated. As new items come into the house, they should be photographed, documented and added to insurance inventories. Keep all receipts with the photos to further assist in insurance claims.

Hopefully you’ll never need to use an insurance inventory, but if the worst happens, photos for insurance claims help maximize the money you receive for your insurance claims.