Protecting your assets just doesn't begin and end with obtaining a policy. Knowing what you have so you can account for it, replace it, or gain compensation for it, is the most crucial step in processing an insurance claim for personal contents. Thankfully, technology has made this monumental task easier than ever!
It is best, especially for uploading onto cloud storage sites, to make your videos short and descriptive. Move room to room, closet to closet, drawer to drawer, and open up any storage containers. Also, do give a quick video of items in the freezer(s) and fridge to account for food replacement as well. One overlooked area for a video is a shower. Salon shampoos can be expensive when replacing all at once. So can medicines, so make sure you capture those items!
When you move into storage buildings, attics, and garage areas, make sure you verbally and/or visually account for those items in seasonal containers, tool boxes, off season yard items, etc. When a total loss occurs, and you can't recall what you really had, your light bulb only goes off months later when you want to sew a button on, and you ask, "Where's my sewing kit?"
Outside items can be also overlooked...lawn chairs, hoses, grills, bird houses, plants, these are all home contents. Did you mailbox get damaged as well? Go ahead and video that item as well because when you replace it, you will be charged for it... small things add up to large amounts very quickly in a total loss.
One quick word of advice. Share this site with someone in the family that does not live in the home. Yes, you can even share this with your insurance agent, who will add this to your file for retrieval. Remember, we plan for worse case scenarios, and grateful when we do not have to exercise all contingencies.
Another word of advice to help plan. Schedule this. Once, or even twice, a year is optimal to capture any changes you may make to your contents. Definitely do this after any remodeling, major purchases, and addition of important legal documents.
Some great sites that are free to store videos, photos and PDFs are:
Microsoft OneDrive
Microsoft OneNote (allows for real super categorization of the home items!)
Amazon/Prime Photo
Facebook (you can make the Home Content Album private
Flikr
icloud
Dropbox
Youtube (videos only - set privacy accordingly)
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