The importance of taking an inventory of your valuables

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by: bythesea
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Word Count: 404
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 Time: 3:13 AM
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Being burgled is one of the most traumatic experiences you're ever likely to suffer; until you've been through it, it's hard to comprehend just how horrific it can be. Having your family home invaded and ransacked is something that is incredibly hard to come to terms with on a general psychological level - and that's without taking into account the pain caused by having items of sentimental value stolen.

In the immediate aftermath of a burglary you'll undoubtedly be shaken up, so it can be difficult to focus when it comes to giving your house insurance provider a list of the items that are missing from your home. For that reason, it's a great idea to be proactive and take an inventory of your valuable items as soon as possible so that you're prepared should the worst happen.

Let's say you have an extensive music collection over hundreds of CDs. If you were forced to compile a list of every album you own without consulting your shelves, how many do you think you would be able to remember? You might well be surprised at just how many you would miss off your list. And if you can't remember the specific items to claim for then you could well be out of pocket.

Go around your house room by room and add sections to your inventory as you go. What would you really miss if it was taken, and how much would it roughly cost to replace it? For every such item you come across, make an entry in your database. It may seem like something of a laborious task, but if you're unlucky enough to be targeted by thieves such a document will make your life several orders of magnitude easier when it comes to making a claim.

You may feel like you're incredibly unlikely to be burgled but you can truly never say never so it's simply not worth the risk to bury your head in the sand. It's best to be cautious and protect yourself however you can ahead of any such incident taking place.

Once you have completed your inventory, keep a copy in several places. Print out hard copies as well as keeping versions on your computer and a USB stick if possible - it's no good having the only copy of your database safely stored away on your laptop hard drive if the burglar proceeds to steal your laptop.

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