What are contents and why is it important to properly document them?

is​Documenting the contents of your home and business is very important to do before you have an insurance claim. What are contents? Contents, also described as “personal property” in your insurance policy, or "business personal property" in a commercial policy, is everything that belongs to you that is not attached to the building. For example, if you turned your home or building upside down, everything that would fall out are the contents.
 
As previously written in our recent blog “Preserving Evidence of Damage Property”, the burden of proof is on you to prove the damage to your property. In this example, we are referring to your personal belongings and business personal property.
 
Let’s say you have a fire or flood that also results in destruction or damage to the contents. Showing the condition of the contents and properly documenting them prior to the damage occurring is key to getting covered for these items.  In cases where a fire loss has occurred, the contents may not be recognizable and the burden of proof is on you to prove what you had before the loss, as well as the condition and age of the item.
 
It is never too late to properly document the condition of your property. We specialize in Pre-Loss Property Inspections and can relieve you of this tedious task.