Know Your Stuff - Free Home Inventory Software

Did you know that the Insurance Information Institute offers free home inventory software so that you can track of your room-by-room possessions? All Insurance companies encourage their customers to keep home inventories so that they can make proper compensations in the unfortunate event of catastrophe. Without a complete home inventory, you run the risk of having to battle for a claim for the amount you deserve.

Know Your Stuff (KnowYourStuff.org) offers free downloadable software which “makes creating a home inventory fun and easy.”

This free software will help you create a room-by-room inventory of your personal possessions. Having an up-to-date home inventory will help you:

• Purchase enough insurance to replace the things you own.

• Get your insurance claims settled faster.

• Substantiate losses for your income tax return.

You can always simply make a list in a notebook and save receipts and photos in a file. This software, however, should make this task fun and simple. More importantly, with the click of your mouse, you can update this list as you buy or eliminate personal possessions. More on using this software why to create a free home inventory list.

This software is a great choice and its free! But what if you experience a fire and you computer is destroyed? I am not sure if you are able to do this but if you are, print out your list and store it at another location such as another family members home or safety deposit box.

Another great option is the Create Your Inventory (CreateYourInventory.com) service. The basic service is free and should be plenty of space for most users but they also offer a Premium account for just $7.50 an entire year which you can upgrade to at anytime. They store your home inventory securely online.

Create Your Inventory Features:

• Free Basic Accounts.

• Secure Online Storage of your home inventory! It won’t be lost if your house is damaged.

• NO software to download or install.

• Configurable email reminders.

• Detail all of your items. You can document the value, serial numbers, purchase date, and other information for each asset you own.

• Upload Digital Photos. Store a digital photo and/or a digital copy of your receipt with each item.

• Keep a List of Heirs and assign each item to one of them for estate planning.

• Easy Report eneration lets you create simple reports about your entire inventory - either for printing or for storing on your own PC.

• CD-ROM Service will send a CD ROM of your inventory anywhere in the US.

I’d put a home inventory creation list on your to-do list if you don’t have one already. The time it takes to create an inventory list with one of these free inventory software recommendations could become well worth the effort and the piece of mind this small task may provide.