How to Create a Digital Home Inventory for Insurance

A home inventory documents your belongings — valuable for insurance claims after theft, fire, or disaster. Here is how to create one using your phone in under an hour.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Walk through each room and video record your belongings
2.Photograph valuable items individually
3.Keep important documents with the inventory
4.Store the inventory somewhere outside your home

Walk through each room and video record your belongings

~36s

The fastest starting point is a video walkthrough. Open your phone camera, switch to video mode, and walk slowly through each room. Pan across bookshelves, open closets, open cabinets and drawers, show electronics (TVs, computers, appliances), jewelry, art, and collectibles. Narrate as you go: "This is a Samsung 65-inch TV, purchased about 2 years ago" or "This is a gold necklace with a diamond pendant." A 10-15 minute video tour captures most of what a home contains.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: For valuable items (jewelry, electronics, art), film close enough to see the brand name, model, and any serial numbers. Serial numbers are important for police reports and insurance claims.

Photograph valuable items individually

~24s

For items worth more than $100, take individual photos: one clear photo of the item from the front, one showing the brand label or serial number, and one showing any notable features or damage. Take a photo of the receipt or original packaging if you have them. For jewelry: photograph with a ruler or coin for scale. Store photos organized by room or category in a dedicated album in your Photos app called "Home Inventory."

Keep important documents with the inventory

~33s

Photograph or scan: purchase receipts for major appliances and electronics, warranty cards and documentation, appraisals for jewelry, art, and antiques, serial numbers for computers, TVs, and cameras. Compile these in the same album or folder as your inventory photos. The combination of photos + receipts gives your insurance company everything they need to process a claim efficiently.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Use the free **Encircle** app (available for iPhone and Android) — it is specifically designed for home inventories. It organizes photos by room, lets you add item details and values, and stores everything securely in the cloud. Insurance companies often recommend it.

Store the inventory somewhere outside your home

~25s

The most important step: your home inventory is useless if it is destroyed along with your home. Store it in at least two places: a cloud service (iCloud, Google Drive, or Google Photos) and with a trusted family member or lawyer. If you use the Encircle app, it backs up automatically to the cloud. Email yourself the video walkthrough and key photos — they will remain in your email even if your home is damaged.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Create a Digital Home Inventory for Insurance

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A home inventory is a record of your belongings — ideally with photos, descriptions, purchase dates, and estimated values. If your home is ever burglarized, or damaged by fire, flood, or other disaster, your homeowner's or renter's insurance company will ask for documentation of what you lost. Without a home inventory, remembering everything you owned — and proving it — is extremely difficult.

Creating a thorough home inventory does not need to take more than an hour, and it can be done with nothing more than your smartphone camera. The most important thing is to create one and store it somewhere outside your home (in the cloud, with a family member) so it is safe even if something happens to your house.

Many insurance companies recommend creating and maintaining a home inventory. It can make the difference between a smooth claim and a difficult one.

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home inventory

insurance

valuables

document belongings

disaster preparedness