Most homeowners are making investments, repairs, and purchases for their homes every month of the year. But what most people forget to do is to document their purchases and home improvements for their home insurance. Staples & Associates has tips on how to protect what’s yours and why you should document your home with photos and videos.

How Photos and Videos Can Save Your Property Claims

Keeping time-stamped digital photos stored in a safe location, such as cloud-based storage or on a device kept in a fire-proof safe, is the best way to prove what you own in case of an emergency or a major insurance claim. You’ll need proof of your belongings should something like a fire, hurricane, or major storm cause significant damage to your home so that the insurance company can get an accurate valuation of your property. And, a deeper, more in-depth record over multiple years will help your credibility. 

An easy way to remember to document your home is to take photos when a repair is completed, or to take photos of the entire home and save them to a home maintenance folder at a regular interval.  Some easy intervals are when you change the batteries in your smoke detector, the filters for your HVAC system, after a spring or fall yard cleaning, or just before you meet with your Staples & Associates agent at least once a year. 

One way to do this is to go from room to room, including garages, sheds, and basements, to capture photos of the contents of the room. Circle the property to capture landscaping or drainage investments, images of windows and the roof, as well as any decks, sidewalks, porches, or patio spaces. 

The final step is to report any major repairs or home improvements, such as a new roof or home additions, to your Staples & Associates insurance agent. 

Need to set up your annual check in with your insurance agent? Contact Staples & Associates, today!