Home Inventory Playbook
Document, Organize & Protect What You Own—Without Losing Your Mind
by Rebecca Stern
Stop guessing what you own. Document, organize & protect your possessions in one weekend—then maintain it in under 5 minutes a month.
$6.95
When disaster strikes—theft, fire, flood, or break-in—insurance companies don't care what you think you owned. They care what you can prove you owned.
Most people have no inventory at all. Others have scattered photos, old receipts, and vague memories. When they file a claim, they get denied or paid far less than their actual loss.
This book gives you the exact system used by insurance adjusters and estate professionals to document possessions fast—without becoming a second job.
You'll learn: How to capture what you own (room-by-room in 4 hours). Where to store proof so it survives the same disaster your possessions don't. How to organize it so you can find anything in 30 seconds. How to use your inventory to negotiate insurance coverage. And how to maintain it in under 5 minutes a month without feeling like you're doing busywork.
Implement this weekend. Sleep better tonight. File a claim that actually pays.
Reader Reviews
Carol Torres
★★★★★The book makes a solid case for why you need a home inventory—those statistics about underestimation and the three scenarios really drove the point home. My problem is I still don't know if I'm willing to commit to it. The author promises it's only 4 hours upfront and 5 minutes monthly, but I'm skeptical. The opening chapters are convincing but don't yet feel like the 'playbook' they advertise. I'm halfway through and hoping the actual system steps are clearer than the motivation section.
Steven Martin
★★★★★Good information, but it feels padded. The emotional stakes are heavy-handed—yes, I get that a fire is traumatic, the author doesn't need to belabor it. The core premise is valuable: 60% of homeowners underestimate their belongings by $20-30K, and most claims get denied or lowballed. That's worth reading. But I'm three chapters in and still waiting for the actual *system*. The book reads more like a sales pitch than a practical guide so far.
Gary Carter
★★★★★This book just saved me thousands. I followed the room-by-room system this weekend, photographed everything, and found three items I'd completely forgotten about—including a vintage guitar my father gave me. Two weeks later, I updated my coverage. Then last month, a water pipe burst in my basement. I had everything documented. The claim went through in 30 days, no negotiation, full payout. The author isn't exaggerating—insurance companies *will* deny or underpay you without proof. This playbook is the insurance policy for your insurance.
Brian Davis
★★★★★Really practical guide with actionable steps I can actually follow. The opening chapters use real scenarios instead of generic advice, which helps. My only gripe is the storage recommendations feel a bit dated—the cloud solutions mentioned could use more detail on security and redundancy. That said, the core system is sound, the room-by-room approach makes sense, and I appreciate that it's designed not to become a burden. Already halfway through and I've started cataloging my garage.
Cynthia Ramirez
★★★★★I'm an estate appraiser and I immediately recognized the methodology here—this is exactly what adjusters and professionals use, just translated for regular homeowners. The Insurance Information Institute stats, the depreciation warnings, the emphasis on capturing proof *before* disaster—all accurate and important. Most people have no idea they're one fire away from a $25K loss just because they can't prove ownership. The author makes the stakes clear without being manipulative. This should be required reading before you sign a homeowners policy.