Taking Inventory

I am sure you heard about the wildfires in Southern California last month. In fact, you may have personal connections to people who have lost their homes. I’ve seen interviews with people who have lost everything. They grabbed what they could and got out of there. It made me think about what I might grab when facing an evacuation. What would you grab? 

A little over a month ago (ironically a few days before the fires began), I ordered the Nokbox. I have a client that had purchased one and wanted some help in collecting all her important documents.

Have you ever heard of the Nokbox? "Nok" stands for Next Of Kin. This box was created to help whoever is in charge of your stuff after you are gone. It is incredibly thorough, and it can seem a bit overwhelming. In fact, I told my husband that we need to schedule time each week to work on this box. 

I am in no way being compensated by Nokbox for mentioning it. And, there are other similar items on the market. But, I do think it is important to have vital information all in one place…not only for you if you have to leave your house abruptly, but also for those who must deal with your estate after you are gone. 

The Nokbox provides folders and checklists (I love a good checklist). One of the folders is for a home inventory. This is a list (with pictures/videos and descriptions) of anything of value in your home. Sentimental value, monetary value, historical value…whatever is valuable to you. This list will be instrumental in helping with any insurance claims you may have to file (in the case of a fire, maybe). It can also be helpful for your next of kin to know what items you have that have monetary value or are important to your family’s history. 

A few years ago, I created a home inventory for my parents. I spent several days going through their house and taking pictures and creating a spreadsheet of everything. It took some time, but I learned a lot about my family’s history as well as the monetary value of certain pieces. 

Take the time to take inventory on your life. It's worth it!