The last 8 months have been enlightening to me as I help a friend and neighbor recover from a house fire. Yesterday - we went shopping for food - the basics and I asked about the staples in your kitchen...I got some great responses! thank you!
Today - I'd like to share some of the things that I have taken for granted over the last 15 years....and hopefully help you from losing everything...
* Go room by room and take a picture of things in it - furniture, TVs (with serial numbers), DVDs. do this even in the kitchen - the appliances and knives (if you have something like Cutco knives) and silverware... I know it sounds funky. If you take the pictures with a camera that requires film - develop it and put the pictures in your fire proof safe. If you use a memory card - put it in an envelope marked inventory.
* for pictures (family ones on the wall) and art work - take good pictures of these.
* Baby's firsts - that outfit you brought them home from the hospital in? Take a picture of it. If it something you truly treasure and not just are keeping "just because" - either shadow box it and hang it or put it in a fire proof safe.
* leaving the house to go to work? close bedroom and closet doors. Two bedrooms only had water and smoke damage because the doors were closed.
* Christmas ornaments that are stored in the attic or storage room? Take pictures of them. She had the "baby's first Christmas" that the adjuster is trying to help her replace (not part of his job but he's trying)...all up in flames, melted.
* if you have recently updated something - granite counters in the kitchen and bathroom? call your insurance company and ensure they know what you have so it can be replaced right.
Mattresses? Bedroom sets? Take good pictures. Keep your receipts. Her insurance has been great about most things being replaced. Other things? no...Put those receipts in a fire proof safe.
When Rosemary and I were walking through her home - it wasn't the "things" that got us - it was the memories...those pictures that can't be redone or recaptured. It's amazing what smoke, water and fire will do to things you look at every day. Going through the house with an adjuster is hard - because for them - it's a job. for you? it's your home...memories...
I've lived in the same house for 15 years. There are many memories here. Artwork from my boys that I don't want to lose. I was very young when we lost everything in a warehouse fire (we had teak wood tables from Taiwan) and we moved frequently that I didn't think about it really - until now. I called our insurance company to make sure our house was properly covered - whew. we do...
I know this has been more of an informational "question" - hoping that you don't have to go through this...I know I'm supposed to ask a question...are you prepared for a catastrophe? do you have your ducks in a row for an emergency like this? If not. Please take the 30 minutes out to do it. Especially since it's the Holiday Season - lights, candles, dry trees....
Keep copies of really important documents somewhere else, like a friend's home or a safe deposit box.
Great post, Cheryl. Thanks for the prompt. I haven't updated my "house" photos for at least the last 10 years, I'll bet.
Great post! Thank you!!
Some great information. My home was damaged by a fire with I was in my 20's living with my mom. I did take an inventory of my current home many years ago. Thanks for the reminder, because I really do need to update. Sounds like a good New Year's resolution and a good project for a snowy afternoon.
Phew! Thanks Cheryl, This is really enlightening and educating. All the things you wouldn't necessarly think about, it's so overwhelming. I know your friend must be so appreciative but thank you for helping her through this experience.
That's why I upload all my pictures to Snapfish. I haven't ordered pictures in a really long time, but I wanted them somewhere else besides my home. Also, take the time to review your insurance policy and make sure that you are valuing your items appropriately. People often times are shocked at how much the get compared to what things might be worth because of insurance limits. We pay extra for the coverage, but we pay for replacement value of our big items not the depreciated value of those items. I never thought about taking pics of the smaller more important things like baby's first outfit or christmas ornament. I will definitely do that.
nice of him to help her replace the ornament! wonder what it looks like?
any chance relatives have copies of the pictures? or could the photographer still be around - they might have copies inventoried away!
Enlightening - thanks for taking the time to do this (question or not :-). I will take the time to do this.
Not only should you use a fire proof safe, keep a copy of your inventory in a completely different location. Give one to a friend or relative in a different city (in case of tornadoes or other natural disasters) and keep a copy at work, if you can. Also make sure to keep passports, birth certificates, and social security cards in the safe. Write down your drivers license number, passport number, and phone numbers on the back of all your credit/debit cards so you can get those quickly replaced if needed. Same with your insurance company's information and policy numbers. House fires are devastating!
Great post ! I hate to see anyone having to go through this. All very good ideas / suggestions. I do have one more - on the pictures - all the pictures we have had done thorugh a photo studio, Wal Mart, school photos, special ones that family or friends took - I made sure my mom has a copy. That way if we have a fire, I know we have a copy with someone else.
Thank you for the post. The info is great, and a good reminder for all of us.
So sorry to hear all that your friend has been through! Your advice is well taken. Also, don't forget to replace all the batteries on the smoke alarms!
