Home inventory checklist, room by room, with a free template

Free home inventory template

What each line needs

Every row in the template has the same seven columns. The cost new today matters most, because most settlements start from the replacement cost and then take off an amount for age, called depreciation.

• Room. Where it was. Insurers often ask for the list room by room.
• Item. What it is, with the brand and model if you know them.
• Quantity. How many. Eight dining chairs are eight, not "chairs".
• Year bought. A year is fine. An honest "about 2019" beats a blank.
• Price paid. If you know it.
• Cost new today. What the same thing costs to buy now.
• Notes. The serial number, and where the receipt or photo is.

Where to start

Do the kitchen, the living room and the main bedroom first. They hold the most value for the time it takes, and a partial list of those three rooms is worth far more on a claim than a complete list you never finish.

The checklist, room by room

These are the things people most often forget to list. Count sets, and give brands where you know them.

Kitchen

• Small appliances: blender, stand mixer, coffee maker, air fryer
• Cookware, knives and bakeware
• Dishes, glasses and flatware, counted by set
• Food in the fridge, freezer and pantry

Living room

• TV, sound bar, streaming boxes, game consoles and games
• Sofa, chairs, tables and shelving
• Rugs, lamps and curtains
• Books, records, art and decor

Bedrooms

• Beds, mattresses and bedding
• Dressers and nightstands
• Clothing, shoes and coats, counted by type
• Jewelry and watches, which often have a lower limit on your policy, called a sublimit
• Kids' toys and furniture

Dining room

• Table, chairs and sideboard
• China, serving dishes and glassware you keep for guests
• Table linens and candlesticks

Bathrooms

• Towels and linens
• Hair dryers, styling tools and electric toothbrushes
• Toiletries and medicine

Home office

• Computers, monitors and printers
• Phones, tablets and chargers
• Desk and chair

Garage and shed

• Power tools and hand tools
• Lawn mower, trimmer and snow blower
• Bikes, sports gear and camping gear
• Ladders, tool chests and shelving

Laundry room

• Washer and dryer
• Iron, steamer and drying racks
• Detergents and supplies

Closets and storage

• Holiday decorations
• Luggage
• Vacuum and cleaning gear
• Anything in boxes: open them once and list what's inside

Outdoors

• Patio furniture and grill
• Garden tools and hoses

Add photos and receipts as you go

A line with proof behind it is much harder to argue with. While you work through each room, take a few wide photos, then open the closets, cabinets and drawers and photograph what's inside. For anything with a label on the back, photograph the brand, model and serial number.

Receipts are easier to find than most people expect. Search your email for words like order, receipt and shipped, and check your online shopping accounts, which keep years of orders. Note in the last column where each receipt or photo lives, so you can find it again when you need it.

What about jewelry, art and other valuables?

Give these their own lines with as much detail as you have: the maker, the materials, the size, and any certificate or appraisal. If something is worth more than your policy's limit for that category, ask your agent whether it should be listed on its own, sometimes called scheduling it. That usually needs a recent appraisal, so keep a copy with your inventory.

Do renters need a home inventory too?

Yes. A renters policy covers your belongings in the same way a homeowners policy does, and the claim works the same way: you list what you lost and the insurer prices each line. A renter's list is often shorter, which makes it quicker to finish. Leave out the landlord's appliances and fixtures, which are covered by the landlord's own policy.

How long does a home inventory take?

A single room takes most people under an hour with this template. A whole house can take a weekend or two, which is why it helps to start with the rooms that hold the most and fill in the rest over time. A list that is half done is still worth having when you need it.

Keep it current

• Add big purchases when you make them.
• Go through it once a year. Your renewal date is an easy reminder.
• Keep a copy somewhere other than your house, like your email or a cloud drive.

Where Indemnia helps

Typing a whole house in takes most people a weekend. Indemnia finds purchases in your email receipts and lists what it sees in photos of each room, with the same columns as this template. It's free for the first 150 items it finds. See what your first session looks like.