ELLSWORTH, Kan. – Spring can bring severe weather, and homeowners and renters who have not yet made – or updated – their household inventories are encouraged to do so.
“Not knowing what you have can be costly,” said Jamie Rathbun, a K-State Research and Extension agent in Ellsworth County, Kan., who offered the example of a family that lost their home in a tornado, reached a settlement with their insurance company in summer months, but failed to include winter clothes, coats, boots, holiday decorations, etc.
“Replacing missed items added unnecessary expense,” she said.
As a family and consumer sciences agent, Rathbun is an advocate for inventorying possessions, but noted that creating a household inventory need not involve a mountain of paperwork.
Last spring, with a tornado reported about 30 miles from their home, Rathbun walked through the house with a video camera to quickly update the family’s home inventory.
“I talked my way through it, opening kitchen cupboards, drawers, closets and the kids’ toy box to highlight the contents,” Rathbun said.
“It’s easy to forget what you have,” said Rathbun, who recommended photographing family heirlooms (art, jewelry or silver are examples) separately.
Take a picture of each wall in each room, said Rathbun, who advised saving the photos to CDs or having multiple sets of prints made.
Either way, Rathbun recommended storing a copy of the inventory and the photos in a safe place, such as a safety deposit box, secure water- and fire-proof safe or filing cabinet, and a second copy with a relative or friend off site, in the event of a total loss.
If maintaining a household inventory on a computer, Rathbun advised backing up the inventory on a flash drive or CD, and, also printing a copy, in the event the computer crashes, is lost or stolen.
Once a basic inventory is completed, Rathbun recommends updating it as new purchases are made. Replacing a dishwasher or purchasing end-of-season clothing at bargain prices in next year’s sizes for children are examples.
If preparing a written inventory, a time-saving “Household Inventory” is available online.
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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Story by: Nancy Peterson
nancyp@ksu.eduK-State Research & Extension News Jamie Rathbun is at 785-472-4442 or jrathbun@ksu.edu
