what possesses someone to steal very personal items?
paigect
17 years ago
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organic_donna
17 years agoRelated Discussions
cataloging possessions for homeowner's insurance
Comments (14)Oh, this is a fun one. Can anyone tell me how to link my excel spreadsheet? Or share it? (I haven't been on here in a long time, sorry) Where I live we have long winters, so I use the cold chilly nights to catalog purchases I overlooked, but almost everything! I keep my camera handy, my laptop and once you start doing this I swear you will be obsessed. Take pics, general pics, immediately put them on the computer. Don't wait because it gets overwhelming. Create a photograph folder for each room in your house. Add photographs of each room with general description. Because it can be overwhelming, first take general pics of your living room, dining room, kitchen, etc. And you really should catalog everything. I have a large 3-ring binder with sheet protectors. I keep a photocopy of my receipts in here. Anything major of value that you purchase keep in here. Washers, dryers, artwork, appliances, etc. Keep the warranties in here along with receipts. Great when you need to have something repaired. I keep a disk with photograph details, original receipts in my husband's office as my backup. Why you should do this: for example, if there is a fire, flood or major damage in your home, you can't make an insurance claim by verbally saying I know there was two pearl necklaces and one blue sapphire necklace and two waterford bowls and I bought decorator drapes with the most expensive fabric and the best expensive paint with molding that was $200 sf, and I had 30 Ralph Lauren shirts at full price, etc., You really do have to prove it. We have an old victorian and during a snowstorm our chimneys fell - we had to fight insurance company to prove we wanted historic bricks, custom brickwork pointed a certain way at a certain height and replacement of the fence that the chimney damaged, etc. Anyways, Sometimes that means digging the stuff out of the fire and proving it if it is not recovered (voice of experience) We had photographs and documentation. So this is a fun lifetime project. Once you get it going it's fairly easy. First way to start, starting today every single item you purchase of value, start documenting those items. Years ago I created my own Excel spreadsheet. Because of sheer volume, I purchased a program which is very detailed. My husband is like me, too. For thirty years he has been documenting his items (detailed tool list right down to the values) so combined with the two of us it really called for pics and more organization. I started doing this years ago. Here's my excel spreadsheet which I still keep as a reference. Program I use is called Home Manage by Liberty Street. There is a free trial for it after a xxx amount of days you can no longer access it so don't get carried away playing with it cause you will waste your time if you don't want to pay for it. How do I upload my Excel spreadsheet?...See MoreBuyer wants personal items
Comments (90)When my DS and his then-wife bought a very large house in CT, they bought (separate contract from the house) a great deal of the furniture, both indoor and outdoor. When they sold it 5 years later when they divorced, the new buyers wanted a few things. Unfortunately, they were things my DS was to get in the divorce and his wife agreed to this. Since the house had been on the market for 16 months and was selling for nearly $900,000 less than they paid for it, my DS did not make a stink. Wish he had gotten those club chairs, though! My parents bought several rugs in a house they purchased 47 years ago, and had previously bought a few things from a house they had bought in 1962. It's really quite common, and if the sale of the house is due to downsizing, it's an excellent way to sell furniture that is not needed or won't fit in a new residence....See MoreWater damage in new house discovered at possession :(
Comments (29)I am so sorry you're having to go thru this. We are redoing our kitchen due to a leak - FWIW, we had the insurance pay out what it would have cost to put it back "exactly the way it was", while it was somewhat a pain to have to quote stripping and replacing wallpaper and rebuilding up the floor to the original height, this allowed us to take that money and our own funds and gut the kitchen and do it the way we wanted. Yes unplanned remodel has been a huge inconvienence and unplanned expense - but it also allowed us to remodel the way we wanted and for quite a bit less of our own money than if we had done it later. Something to think about. I'd also highly recommend getting your own contractor you trust - dont use their people unless you feel 100% comfortable with them. Have your contractor quote what it would be to put it back the way it was - have the insurance pay you out and then decide what you really want to do. Have the contractor quote it out Firm Fixed Price (FFP) for the insurance. It really sounds like you should also fight to have the cabinets declared a complete loss -- uppers and lowers due to the mold and moisture - likely less expensive too to replace with new rather than having something custom made to match the existing. if the cabs need to come out to ensure it gets dry (likely if they were in contact with the wet floor -- water seeps up boxes and damages them - then they need to take the counter out too and are likely to replace that as well. Good Luck!...See MoreWhat is your most prized possession?
Comments (26)To add to what socks said about the fire alarm in working order, they also make smart alarms now that can link to your cell phone. One day I was cooking bacon and my husband who was at work almost 1 1/2 hour drive away called to see if I had set the house on fire. LOL Great technology though. In our first home (which was a townhouse) I once had to call the fire department because I could here my next door neighbors alarm going off. Turns out they had left a pot on the stove and forgot to turn the stove off. With the smart devices if you have that happen you can at least call a neighbor to check or call the fire department before things get out of control. I know this was off topic, just wanted to share incase anyone wasn't aware that they make these devices....See Moreabfab
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