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books—anything that you would want to re- place in case of loss or damage due to fire, theft or a weather-related event. The idea of cataloguing every item of value that you own may be exhausting, it's worth the effort. It may be a lot of stuff, but it probably includes many things you wouldn't want to live without. Here's how to make getting started a little bit easier. Download An App Plenty of apps offer the ability to create a home inventory for little to no money. Try to find one that has convenient features such as barcode readers and secure storage options. Break It Down Organize your inventory by room (kitchen, dining room, master bedroom). For each item, include type, cost, date and place of purchase, as well as model and serial num- bers. Fill in as many of the blanks as you can. If you no longer have a receipt for a specific item, estimate the price and ap- proximate date of purchase. Large appliances, furniture, electronics, computers, rugs and other "big-ticket" items should be individually entered into your home inventory. But, you can group other things together, such as clothing, tools, kitchen items and books (for instance, six pairs of jeans or a 40-piece china service). Don't forget about personal property kept in off-site storage or at your workplace. Consider Extra Protection For your most valuable possessions—jew- elry, artwork, heirlooms, you should contact your insurer as you may well need ad- ditional coverage beyond the basic policy limits to adequately protect these high- value items. Don't Be Overwhelmed It's a big job, one that may take several days to complete. Experts will tell you to start in the kitchen, or start with a small room or with your big-ticket items. But in the end, it's just a matter of preference how you approach making your inventory. Do whatever feels right to get you to the finish line. Store & Maintain Your Records Most apps allow you to store your com- pleted home inventory in the cloud or to download it to an external storage device. That way, it will be easy to share with your insurer in the event your property is stolen or damaged. After you have gone to the trouble of carefully recording all of your valued possessions, be sure to regularly update it—perhaps during April tax season. Typically, that's when you're thinking about your household finances. Why not make your home inventory part of that equation?