Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 12, 1993 TAG: 9309130315
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NICK HARDER ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Your home.
Movie stars may come and go, but for sheer staying power, there's nothing that rivals the contents of your own home. Save your financial future. Use that video camera (or rent one) to film your home's contents. It will provide documentation for your insurance much better than a written list or a few snapshots of valuables.
The secret to doing this well is planning. Just turning on your camera and panning about the room won't cut it. You'll find yourself stuttering over a description of the article, guessing at its value and just generally making a mess of it.
First off, make a detailed list of everything that's valuable. This is a list your insurance people should have anyway, but it will serve as a "script" outline for your film.
Some insurance companies can furnish you with such a list or provide you with a pamphlet that guides you in establishing one. If your company doesn't, here are some suggestions for creating your own list of valuables. (Just reading this list should convince you that the contents of your home are probably worth more than the amount for which they're insured.)
Major appliances: This is probably the easiest type of item to list, yet can be the most time-consuming. If you have your original receipts or canceled checks for your major appliances - washer and dryer, stove, trash compactor, refrigerator, built-in microwave, dishwasher - attach them to your list.
The dates you purchased the appliances and just about every valuable around your home also are important. If the receipts do not list the date and you don't have a canceled check or credit card listing with a date on it, at least put the appliance model number on the list. A check by the insurer with the manufacturer will show the date the model was made. You may not have purchased the appliance within the year in which it was made, but the date will at least put you in the ballpark. That will help establish its value.
The model of the appliance is important, too. For example, there could be a $1,000 difference between the lowest-price double-door refrigerator and the highest-price model of the same brand. Even a photo of it might not show the differences. So jot down whether it was the stripped-down model or the you-overpaid-for-the-electronic-gizmos model.
Minor appliances: These can include such things as a toaster oven, countertop microwave, vacuum cleaner and that fancy dicer-slicer-chopper-food processor you keep in the back of the pantry.
Dishes and cutlery: Even if you don't have the most expensive china, what you do have can mount up. Include your silverware in this if you have an antique set from your great-grandmother or whomever. (Get a certificate of its value from a jeweler or antiques expert. In some cases, it might cost you $10 or $20, but the value is generally worth much more. Be sure to film the certificate of worth.)
Communications equipment: All your telephones can add up to a pretty penny. Get a detail shot of a telephone if it's one of those fancy 10-station models or whatever makes it extra valuable. If you have an intercom system, list that, too.
Entertainment devices: These include your TV set, stereo equipment, VCR, even the video camera you're holding. (Use a mirror to get it on film.) Get in close on these devices, as detail shots will show the extra functions they have that add to their value. Again, be sure to include model numbers on a flashcard you can hold in front of the camera while the device is being filmed or read out loud by the person who's helping you.
Collections and jewelry: The most obvious choices for taping are the most valuable items in your home. Some people will have a collection of jewelry, coins, stamps or other items of value. Again, a certificate of worth by a recognized expert will greatly enhance your ability to prove the value of your collection.
Garage: The garage might hold a wealth of expensive items you might not normally consider. Your vehicles are especially important, of course. You should be able to tell the year, make and model. If you have it, put the price list in front of the camera so you can read the final price and all the options. Allow the camera to linger over it for at least a minute. All the options you have on the vehicle make it more valuable.
Aside from your vehicles, the tools - especially power tools - in your garage also are worth noting. If you normally keep them in cabinets, take them out before shooting and place them where they all can be easily filmed.
Furniture: Probably nothing loses value more than furniture, but assessed altogether, it can amount to a significant figure. Receipts, dates purchased, models or styles will all help a claims adjuster. As for antique furniture, if you have a certificate of authenticity provided by the dealer you bought it from or at least the approximate date it was made and its style (if, for example, Aunt Sadie gave it to you), those will help.
Clothes: OK, so you haven't a single Armani suit to your name. What you do have, though, adds up. Men, be sure to film all those different types of athletic shoes you have. Women, if you have designer outfits - even those off the rack - get the label in the shot.
Landscaping: Those trees and shrubs add up to a bundle. Don't think so? Trying buying replacements. As you film, be prepared to add the age and type of tree and shrub.
When you film, have someone with you to read the list as you go and to open and close cabinet doors and drawers.
And be sure to make duplicates or triplicates of everything. This includes your written list, video tape and any still photographs. If you have a fireproof lockbox at home, store one copy there. Store another in a safe-deposit box in a bank. Give one copy to your insurance agent.
by CNB