PEMCO Insurance

•	Make a home inventory before you need it
•	How to use jumper cables to start your car
•	Prevent ice dams in gutters
•	Simple formula calculates life-insurance needs
•	Add ICE contact to your cell phone directory
•	Are you an aggressive driver?
•	Questions you asked us
•	Need help? Don't wait!


•	Fall 2005
•	Spring 2005

I'm pleased to present the winter 2006 online edition of Perspective, PEMCO's customer newsletter. Thank you for subscribing. We've now issued three online editions, and I'm glad you find this e-mail version useful and convenient. As always, feel free to share Perspective with your friends, and watch for the spring issue coming out in May. I welcome your feedback about Perspective. Simply send your comments to perspective@pemco.com.

Jon Osterberg
Perspective editor

Make a home inventory before you need it

Close your eyes for a moment and try to name every item on the wall in front of you. How about in the closet? The entire room? If you’re like most of us, “out of sight” really does mean “out of mind!”

Survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita are trying to remember everything they had tucked away in drawers and cabinets as they work with their insurance companies to replace lost and damaged items. Many wish they’d taken the time to make a home inventory. Next to saving receipts for everything you own (hardly something most of us would do!), an inventory is the best way to ensure nothing is missed if you ever have to file a claim under your homeowners coverage.

A recent PEMCO poll shows that just four out of 10 Washington homeowners have a home inventory.

Create your home inventory

A room-by-room digitally recorded or videotaped home inventory gives your insurance company information needed to replace your lost items with those of like kind and quality. To make the task less daunting, break up recording into weekly one-hour sessions (say, every Saturday right after breakfast). In a few weeks, you'll easily have covered every room in your house. These tips can help you capture the detail you need:

No camera? No problem!
If you don't own a digital or videotape camcorder, you can list your belongings on a handwritten form, take still photos, or even purchase home-inventory software. An Internet search on "home inventory" will yield a wide choice of downloadable forms with space to write critical details like brand names and serial numbers.

Start your video by introducing yourself. Give the date, your address, and a brief description of your home including when it was built, when you bought the property, and any renovations or additions.
Inside, begin with the doorway and slowly pan around the room to take in the furniture, walls, and floor coverings.
Next, do close-ups of individual pieces – furniture, artwork, china, and so on, to capture detail. As you do, name the item and describe it briefly. State the value, if known.
Zoom in on serial numbers of devices like computers, TVs, and DVD players. Recite the number out loud as you’re recording in case it doesn’t show up well.
For art and collectibles, stop the camera and reposition items to show makers' names or labels, marks on the bottom, and overall condition. For tableware, show one complete place setting and say how many sets you have in each collection.
Open every drawer, cabinet, closet, and storage area and photograph their contents. If you keep a fully stocked freezer and pantry, get them, too. Don’t forget tools and sports equipment in the garage and toys in the playroom.
After you finish a room, review the recording to make sure it has good lighting and sound. Repeat the process in every room.

Safeguard your home inventory

When you're finished, protect your recording. For videotape, break the plastic tab to prevent accidentally recording over it. When it's time to update the recording (annually or after any major purchase), put masking tape over the tab hole and record. Remove the tape when you're finished.

Keep one copy of your inventory (digital/videotape, flash card, etc.) in your safe-deposit box, keep another copy at home, and if possible, send a third copy to a trusted relative who lives in another state. Consider posting a digital copy online, where it can be accessed whenever and wherever needed. That way, a copy of your recording will survive even a widespread disaster.