Close your eyes and try to list all the items in your living room. You have probably left out a few! And would you know how much the items in that room are worth? What about the other rooms in your house? Not that simple, is it?

Imagine after a loss: do you think you’d be able to list all of the items stolen or destroyed? And did you keep the proof of purchase?

The property inventory is a practical tool that can help you out. It is also an essential tool, both when you purchase your home insurance policy and when you make a claim.

When you purchase your insurance policy

Making an inventory of your belongings lets you know the total value of the property you own. Thus, you can choose the coverage amount that corresponds to your belongings.

After a loss

Your inventory will also help you and your insurer out when you make a claim. You will have a list of items that you possessed in each room of your home and proof of ownership.

Make an inventory

In each room of your home, list the items: furniture, computers and electronic equipment, clothing, tools, etc. Write down what they are worth or their purchase price. Enhance the list with photos, descriptions, invoices or instruction manuals and serial numbers. 

• Complete the e-form to make an inventory of your belongings. 
• Keep your inventory in a safe place. Ideally, don’t keep it at home. For example, leave a copy at the office or in a safety deposit box at the bank. 
• Don’t forget to update it regularly, when you renew your home insurance coverage or purchase a valuable object. 

Information on the Personal Property Inventory Form 

• Software required: Microsoft Excel
• Instructions: Download a copy of the form [907 Kb)

How to fill in your property inventory

Follow the procedure to accept the macros included in the file and print your inventory.

1. Open the property inventory file that you have downloaded.
2. A security notification window will appear.
3. Click on the Yes box and the document will open.
4. Once you have filled out and registered your property inventory, go to the cover page of the form and click on "Print" to print and keep a copy in your archives.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you keep a copy of your property inventory outside of your home.

Filling In Your Property Inventory

The property inventory form has been designed to make things easy for you. You only have access to the required fields and the tabs allow you to easily move from room to room.

Furthermore, if you only have one of a given item, you don't have to type in the number in the corresponding field since the total number of possessions is automatically calculated based on a minimum of one item.

Here are the fields that must be filled out for each room in the house:

• In the NUMBER OF ITEMS column, record how many of the specific item you own.
• In the DESCRIPTION column, you can add items that do not appear on the standard list.
• In the VALUE PER UNIT column, list the approximate value per item. The form calculates the total value automatically.
• In the SERIAL/MODEL NUMBER column, record the brand, the model or the serial number.

Note: It is suggested that you append invoices, photographs and video footage of your possessions to the property inventory. Receipts, warranties and instruction manuals can also be used as supporting documents when making a claim.

Fill in the following fields in the "Credit Card" section:

•Enter the number of credit cards from the same institution in the box (maximum 2).
•Enter the 16-figure credit card number (without any spaces or hyphens).
•Enter the credit card's expiry date and the phone number to call in case of loss or theft.

Complete this form and save it on your hard drive.

Keep your inventory in a safe place away from your home. You can print it and give it to a neighbor, email it to a friend, or keep it at the office.