Have you taken an insurance inventory of your home lately?

It’s the one thing that every homeowner has and hopes they never need: insurance. To make sure you are always prepared, experts recommend that you keep on hand a complete home inventory.

State Farm says that a home inventory can help expedite an insurance claim after theft, damage, or loss. It not only helps in the settlement of a loss or claim, but may also help verify tax-deductible property losses.

Most insurance companies provide some handy online Home Inventory Checklists. But the fastest, easiest way is a video walkthrough of your home. Document everything with your smartphone. Then upload the video to the cloud, such as Apple iCloud, Google Drive, or Dropbox, so it’s stored remotely. Supplement your video with documentation. Take photos of receipts, credit card statements, appraisals and other documents. Upload these to the Internet too.