A home inventory is a responsible way for consumers to protect themselves if disaster strikes. Insurance agents routinely recommend making a home inventory, and customers just as frequently put it on their to-do list and don't think about it again.

Making a home inventory can be a cumbersome process. Oftentimes, if someone actually takes pictures or documents their belongings, they end up storing the information in an unsafe place in their home. If disaster strikes, the home inventory is then rendered useless.

Until recently, there have been few improvements on the home inventory concept, but technology advancements have meant a makeover for home inventories.

These days, phrases like “Web 2.0” and “in the cloud” describe advancements that can have great implications for customers who want to put together a home inventory. These advancements mean that secure servers can store information for the customer and help them quickly put together a list of their belongings that is held off site or in “the cloud.”

Look for these features in a home inventory when offering advice to policyholders:

• Search technology built into the home inventory that lets users quickly select information about the products in their home.
• Functionality that allows the customer to sell and donate directly from their home inventory.
• A home inventory that is pre-populated with items, by room and category.
• A feature that allows customers to see the total amount of contents they have by room, category, or throughout their home.
• Secure data storage within the home inventory website.

When a policyholder makes a home inventory, they have peace of mind knowing that their items are catalogued. The policyholder might also see that certain items need more insurance coverage. The insurance agent benefits when an additional rider is written for those customers.

The problem of helping customers put together a home inventory is an old one. But there are new solutions available to help customers keep track of their belongings and to help insurance agents make those customers aware of areas where they can improve their insurance coverage.