Simply because there is nothing to view

A recent article in the Jackson, Mississippi Clarion Ledger discussed the need for a home inventory (businesses need them, too). They included that it's important because, as stated by State Farm Insurance agent Preston Derivaux, "Proof of ownership at the time of a loss can make a claim settlement easier and faster. Determining ownership and the value of lost property can be difficult, simply because there is nothing to view. It needs to be documented."

Another piece of a thorough home inventory is storing it properly. Why? As the Clarion Ledger recounts...

Dorothy Brown, 64, of Pass Christian had detailed photographs of her home contents when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. "But they didn't do me any good because I didn't take them with me when we evacuated," she says.

Her 1,200 square-foot home was destroyed. Brown says not having contents documentation "made it really hard" settling with her insurance company. "They finally gave us $20,000, which didn't come close to replacing what we had," she says.

This highlights the advantage to hiring an inventory service provider. Not only will they store your information for you, they can get it to you quickly if yours is destroyed or damaged.