·         Before making an up-to-date home inventory you should clean out cupboards and closets and either sell or give away items that you do not need.  What’s more?  Preparing a home inventory will help you get your insurance claim settled faster.

·         Start making your list room by room.  This may seem like a long, drawn out process but it is the best way of ensuring that you don’t miss out on anything.

·         While making a list of possessions, describe each item in detail and note these details if you can remember them: place of purchase, date, make and model.   You should maintain any sales receipts, purchase contracts and appraisals in a separate folder for each room. You will be required to give a cost estimate for every item for the relocations company.

·         Begin with high-valued items like jewelry, silverware, antiques, paintings and artwork. Follow this up with furniture and electronic appliances, the latter with their serial numbers, which is essential when importing electronic items into another country. Don’t forget to check whether electronic appliances will work in your new country.

·         Usually people decide not to bring valuable items like jewelry and art work and if you decide to do the same, it is wise to make a separate list and decide where you are going to store them in the interim period.  Your options include safe deposit vault, storage unit or family and friends.  If you opt for storing with family and friends then get them to sign a letter stating that the valuables belong to you...your safety net in the event of theft or fire.

·         The value of art work, jewelry and collectibles may have increased in value since you came to own them.  Get them valued and include this estimate on your inventory list.

·         As for clothing, give a full description of any expensive items. In case you don't want to describe every item of clothing, at least list quantities against the names of the family member these items belong to.

·         Next up…everything else. Curtains, rugs, paintings, CDs, DVDs, toys, and utensils. If you own expensive sports equipment list these with make and model of each.

·         In addition to the list, you can photograph each room or videotape your home or apartment and record audio descriptions. Taking close-up shots of expensive items and group shots of lower-value items is recommended. In case of electronics and appliances zoom in on numbers and labels and signatures on artwork.
Using the date imprint function on your digital and/or video camera is a good idea.

·         Now, where to keep this list? Keep it in the form of a spreadsheet on your computer but always take a print out (at least five copies to be on the safe side), email a copy to yourself and keep the file on a pen drive or CD.