In 1996 around 10am on a weekday morning, my home was robbed. Although we had bars on all exterior doors and windows (this is typical in Albuquerque) and two German Shepherds, someone drove a vehicle through our garage door and quickly ransacked our home.
Needless to say, we were all traumatized; especially the kids (both were under 11). My husband and I had to restore the kids’ sense of security while also completing the insurance claim forms. We did the best we could with both, but about six months after settling the insurance claim, we began to realize all of the things that in the emotional aftermath of the robbery, we had inadvertently left quite a bit off of the claim. We were quickly hit with the reality that even though we had fantastic homeowners insurance, our insurance company had no way of reimbursing us for things we didn’t put it on the claim forms.
After tallying what we had left off of the claim (about $5,200 from a 1200 sq. ft. house), I vowed that I would never allow my family to be that vulnerable again and asked our insurance company what we could have done better. They explained that if I had a current home inventory, our claim could have been settled for the right amount and probably much faster. So I started keeping lists and pictures of everything we owned, and I told everyone else to do the same.
The reality is that is difficult to complete your personal home inventory and it seems to take forever, so people would ask if I would do theirs. That was in 1997. All of these years, and countless inventories since then, I’ve learned a lot and have streamlined the process that I am able to complete a 3500 square foot complete standard home inventory in about 3 hours in home.
Our home inventory reports include Inventory by Room, Inventory by Category, and Digital Proof reports of everything in the home. We are efficient and accurate, and include serial and model numbers when available. Each report item includes a detailed description, room, category, quantity, condition, date purchased/acquired, and estimated value as reported by the home owner. The customer receives one complete printed copy of each report and two CD containing each report and high resolution digital proof of what’s in the home.
We have a few mottoes at The Inventory Experts:
- Your insurance coverage is only as good as your ability to accurately file a claim.
- If you do nothing else today, start your home inventory because your house could be on fire right now!
I co-founded The Inventory Institute in 2009 to address the growing concern that Home Inventory Providers from around the nation were advertising themselves as ‘Licensed’ when there is currently NO Home Inventory License in ANY state! When prodded, a Home Inventory Provider in the DFW area said, ‘OK, I have a driver’s license!’ That comment almost knocked me off my seat!
After further research, it became clear that there are two kinds of Home Inventory companies:
- those with Home Inventory Professionals that have current Professional liability insurance and bonding and represent themselves to their clients and the public honestly, professionally, and ethically. Home Inventory Professionals enjoy collaborating with others in the industry and understand the importance of working together for the advancement of the industry.
- those with Home Inventory Providers that advertise being licensed simply because they have permission from their state to operate a business, make ill or negative comments about others in the Home Inventory Industry.
The Inventory Institute offers the nation’s only certification program that is geared toward the industry as a whole; not a particular Home Inventory software or training package. The Certified Home Inventory Professional™ (CHIP™) program is the next evolutionary step in this industry, and it is an absolute joy to work with such high caliber Home Inventory Professionals from around the country!
The Inventory Institute offers Home Inventory Professionals from around the country a vehicle to openly share ideas and collaborate with other professionals. The Inventory Institute also provides valuable consumer information on Profesional Home Inventories.
I also teach the one day seminar ‘How to be a Home Inventory Professional’ where I combine the lessons and techniques learned over 15 years of hands-on Home Inventory work.
If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
- Michelle Ketterman
The Inventory Experts
972-834-8592
ProveItsYours.com
