How to Create a Home Inventory Before a Flood: A Step-by-Step Guide

A home inventory is a room-by-room record of what you own, backed up with photos, serial numbers and receipts, kept somewhere other than inside the house. If a flood ever damages your belongings, that record is what turns "I think we had a couch and a few lamps in there" into a claim that can actually be documented and processed.

This article walks through how to build one, step by step, and what to do with it once it exists.

Why a Home Inventory Matters Before a Flood

After a flood, memory is unreliable. Furniture gets hauled to the curb, electronics get thrown out wet and ruined, and it becomes hard to remember exactly what was in a closet or a garage six months earlier. An inventory made before the water ever rises gives you something concrete to work from: a list, with photos and documentation, of what was there and roughly what it was worth.

This matters for contents coverage generally, whether that coverage is part of an NFIP policy or a private flood policy. Many policies draw a distinction between the building itself and the contents inside it, and a clear inventory supports the contents side of a claim. If you ever need it with a Sterling policy, claims start from the "File a Claim" page on sterlingflood.com.

Step-by-Step: How to Build a Home Inventory

Step 1: Walk Through Every Room on Video

Start with a slow, narrated walk-through video, room by room, including closets, cabinets and drawers. Open doors as you go. Say out loud what you're looking at if it helps you remember later. This single video becomes your baseline record of the home's contents on the day you made it.

Step 2: Photograph Serial Numbers and Model Labels

For major appliances and electronics, go back and take close-up photos of the serial number and model label, usually found on a sticker on the back, bottom or side of the item. These labels are often the only way to prove exactly what model you owned, which matters more than a general description once an item is gone.

Step 3: Gather Receipts and Purchase Records

Pull together receipts, credit card statements, warranty cards and order confirmation emails for higher-value items. If you no longer have the original receipt, a bank or credit card statement showing the purchase, or an old order confirmation email, can help establish when and roughly what you paid.

Step 4: Organize the List by Room

Turn the video and photos into a written list organized by room: living room, kitchen, bedrooms, garage and so on. For each item, note a brief description, the approximate purchase date, and whether you have a receipt or serial number photo for it. A simple spreadsheet works fine for this.

Step 5: Store Copies Off-Site and in the Cloud

Once the inventory exists, it only helps if it survives the flood that prompted you to make it. Keep a copy in cloud storage, email a copy to yourself, and consider a copy with a family member or at a second location. An inventory stored only on a laptop in the house you're trying to protect defeats the purpose.

Step 6: Update It After Big Purchases

Treat the inventory as a living document. After a big purchase, like a new television, appliance or piece of furniture, take a few minutes to photograph the receipt and serial number and add it to the list. An inventory that's five years out of date is far less useful than one updated a few times a year.

Don't Forget Basements, Garages and Enclosed Areas

Lower-level spaces, basements, garages, and enclosed areas under an elevated home, often get skipped when people think about "what's in the house," but they frequently hold tools, storage items, a freezer, a water heater or a workshop. Include these spaces in your walk-through and note where items are stored.

It's worth knowing that contents in basements and below elevated floors are sometimes handled differently from contents in the main living area. Check your policy for how items in basements or below elevated floors are handled, and ask your agent if anything in those spaces needs to be addressed separately.

Common Mistakes People Make With Home Inventories

• Only photographing the big items. Smaller items add up, and a complete list is more useful than a list of just the television and the couch.
• Keeping the only copy in the house. If the inventory is destroyed along with the contents it describes, it can't help you.
• Never updating it. An inventory from several moves ago won't reflect what's actually in the home today.
• Skipping the garage, basement or enclosed storage. These areas often hold more value than people initially assume.
• Not keeping any purchase records. A photo of an item without a receipt, serial number or approximate purchase date is harder to document.

Pro Tips from Sterling Flood Underwriters

Keep the video and the spreadsheet together. A narrated walk-through video paired with a written, room-by-room list gives you both the visual record and the organized detail.

Photograph, don't just list, high-value items. A photo of the serial number and model label is worth more than a written description when it comes time to document a claim.

Redo the walk-through once a year. An annual refresh catches new purchases and anything that's changed since the last version.

Get a Quote

A home inventory is something you can build this weekend, and it's one of the most useful things to have on hand if a flood ever reaches your home. Get a flood insurance quote from Sterling Flood.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I update my home inventory?

Update it after any significant purchase, and do a full refresh at least once a year. A spreadsheet and a yearly video walk-through take relatively little time and keep the record current.

Where should I store my home inventory?

Somewhere other than the house itself. Cloud storage, an email to yourself, or a copy with a family member all work. The point is that the inventory needs to survive if the home doesn't.

Does a home inventory help with a flood insurance claim?

Yes, it generally supports the contents side of a claim by documenting what was in the home, when it was purchased, and what it looked like beforehand. Check your policy for exactly how contents claims are documented and processed.

What should I do if I don't have receipts for everything?

Use what you have: bank or credit card statements, warranty cards, order confirmation emails, or even photos that show the item in the home over time. A serial number photo can also help establish exactly what model you owned.