When you have home insurance, you hope you’ll never have to use it, but sometimes bad things happen: you suffer a theft, fire, or other loss.  There are a few things you can do beforehand to make the process of recovering from that loss easier.

First, have a copy of your policy available somewhere besides your home.  That may be in a safe deposit box or with a family member, but in the event of a loss, you’ll want to have the policy to refer to.  A fireproof safe in your home is a good second choice, but the smaller ones can be picked up and carried away, so someplace away from the home is the best option.

Second, have a record of your contents.  This can be something you wrote down on paper, it can be a series of photographs, or it can be a video record.  Ideally it will also include information regarding the make, model, and sometimes serial number of any high-value items, such as a plasma television, musical instruments, or sometimes jewellery.  Photographs or video records are particularly useful in the case of jewellery.

Another thing to keep with your policy, but separate from your home and/or contents is the name and telephone of your Policy Expert insurance agent.  The website address is another useful piece of information to have on hand.  You’ll want to contact your agent with as much information as possible, as early in the process as possible, so keep this information with your list of contents.