As you’re getting ready to deck the halls and celebrate Christmas with your loved ones, it’s important to protect your belongings.

Since December is a popular month for burglaries, it’s crucial you insure your valuables against theft. Having insurance can help you feel more at ease during the holiday season knowing that, if something does happen, you will recoup some of your losses.

In this post, we’ll share with you what to do to protect your valuable belongings. It all starts with a home inventory.

How to take inventory of your home

The holidays are a time for family, food, and fun. But if you’re not careful, the holiday season can also be a time for theft, accidents, and fires. That’s why it’s essential to make sure you have updated your home inventory for homeowners or renters insurance purposes. Here’s what you need to know.

What Is a Home Inventory?

A home inventory is a complete list of all the items in your home, including clothes, furniture, electronics, appliances, art, collections, and so on.

An up-to-date home inventory helps guarantee you’re properly insured in the event of a theft, fire, or other disaster. It also provides documentation to support any insurance claims you may need to file.

Why Is It Important to Update Your Home Inventory During the Holidays?

The holidays are a peak time for theft, as burglars take advantage of empty homes while families are out celebrating. In fact, reported incidents of burglary spike by about 12% during December. Updating your home inventory now can help prevent headaches later if anything is stolen from your home during the holiday season.

How to Take Inventory of Your Home

Taking inventory of your home for insurance purposes is simple. To update your home inventory, simply walk through your house and make a list of all your belongings. For each item, include a description (e.g., “red leather couch”), purchase date, and approximate value. Be sure to record recent purchases, such as gifts.

If possible, take photos or videos of each item to help document its condition. Once you have everything listed, put your inventory in a safe place—preferably outside your home, inside a fireproof safe, or on the cloud—in case of fire or flooding.

Homeowners insurance coverage and Christmas gifts

The holidays are a time of giving, but what happens if someone damages or steals your holiday gifts? Will your homeowners insurance cover the loss? The answer may surprise you.

In most cases, your homeowners insurance will provide coverage for your holiday gifts up to a certain limit. However, there are some important exceptions to keep in mind.

If you have valuable items such as jewelry or art, you may need to purchase additional insurance to protect them. If your gifts are damaged because of a covered event, such as a fire or burglary, you will need to pay a deductible before your insurance kicks in. So before you start your holiday shopping, check with your insurance agent to see if you need to add any high-value gifts to your insurance policy.

Protect yourself this holiday season by taking the time to update your home inventory for homeowners insurance purposes. And don’t forget to include the gifts you receive or store before giving.

For help finding the best homeowners insurance coverage for you, request a quote here.