How to create a home inventory from scratch

A home inventory is simply a record of what you own. For most people it's useful in three situations: making an insurance claim after a theft or fire, moving house and checking everything has arrived, and keeping track of what came with a property you've bought or are renting.

Here's how to put one together that's actually useful.

What to include

A complete home inventory has four components for each item:

1. Description — what it is (brand name helps).
2. Model and serial number — for appliances and electronics. The serial number is what police and insurers need if it's stolen.
3. Approximate value — current replacement cost, not what you paid. Check current prices for a realistic figure.
4. Photograph — the fastest proof for an insurance claim.

You don't need all four for every item — a jug kettle doesn't need a serial number — but for anything over about £50, more detail is worth the minute it takes.

Room by room: what to document

Kitchen

Item	Model / serial	Est. value	Notes
Washing machine
Dishwasher
Fridge / freezer
Oven / hob
Microwave

For kitchen appliances, note the serial number (usually on a label inside the door, at the back, or underneath). This is also the number you need for warranty claims and service records. See how to find any appliance's model and serial number for all locations.

Living room and home office

Televisions, computers, audio equipment, games consoles. These are common theft targets — serial numbers matter.

Bedroom

Jewellery, watches, and high-value clothing are often covered under a separate "specified items" section of contents insurance. List them individually with values.

Loft, garage, shed

Tools, garden equipment, bikes. Bikes in particular: record the frame serial number (usually under the bottom bracket), take photographs, and consider registering on BikeRegister — the national bike database used by police.

Photographs: the part most people skip

A photograph is the single most useful document for an insurance claim. A photo of your television in your living room proves it was there. Without it, you're asserting something and the insurer has no independent confirmation.

Take photographs of:

• Each room in general (wide shot)
• High-value items individually
• Serial number labels on appliances and electronics
• Receipts if you have them (photograph or scan — paper receipts fade)

Store these where they'll survive a home fire, flood, or burglary. Cloud storage (Google Photos, iCloud, Dropbox) is ideal — it's offsite by definition.

Practical approach: don't make it a project

The inventory that actually gets done is one that takes an afternoon, not a weekend. Set a realistic scope:

First pass (one afternoon):

• Walk through each room and list the items that matter — anything over £50, anything with a serial number, anything you'd be upset to lose.
• Photograph each room and the serial numbers of appliances and electronics.
• Record make and model for each appliance — this is often faster than writing a description.

Second pass (ongoing):

• When you buy something significant, add it to the inventory. Ten minutes at the time of purchase is easier than trying to reconstruct it later.

Using JustTaggit as your inventory

For appliances specifically, JustTaggit works as a live inventory. Stick a QR code on each appliance, store the model number, serial number, purchase date, warranty expiry, and manual link against it. Scan the code to pull up the details — no spreadsheet to maintain separately.

This is particularly useful when moving house: each tagged appliance has its information with it, so unpacking and setting up records in a new home is fast. For more on moving, see our moving into a new home checklist.

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Your home's records, always one scan away. Tag your first appliance free →