Home contents inventory for insurance: what to record, and how to keep it current

A home contents inventory is a list of what you own, room by room, with enough detail to describe and value each item. That means things like brand, model, serial number, purchase date, condition and what it would cost to replace today. Back it up with receipts, photos and a walk-through video. Australia’s government money guide, Moneysmart, suggests you start by “listing all your belongings and how much each item would cost to replace”. The Insurance Council of Australia suggests a “room-by-room inventory”. Update it once a year, and keep a copy somewhere other than your house. Some people also timestamp each year’s version. That gives a dated record of exactly what the list, photos and video looked like on that day. It doesn’t value anything or change what your insurer accepts.

Disclosure: I’m Inna Hall, co-founder of TimeBinder, the file timestamping tool mentioned in this guide. This page is general information, not legal advice.

Insurance note: this is general information only. It doesn’t consider your objectives, financial situation or needs, and it isn’t a recommendation about any insurance product. Read your policy and its Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), and ask your insurer what they need from you.

What official Australian sources say

ASIC’s Moneysmart, on its Contents insurance page, says:

“Start by listing all your belongings and how much each item would cost to replace (at today’s prices). Include as many details as possible. For example, serial numbers, receipts, warranties, photos, condition and the date of purchase.”

It also suggests: “Use your phone to take a detailed video of each room of your house, as a way to document the belongings that you have.” It says this “creates a visual record for a future claim”.

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) gives the same advice in its storm-season guidance. Its Storms page says to prepare a room-by-room inventory of the contents of your home, and adds: “This list helps determine if your assets are adequately protected and can save time when making a claim.” Its October 2026 prepare now notice says: “Sometimes it’s easier to take a video or photos as a visual inventory to jog your memory at claim time and assist with validating a claim (proof of ownership).”

After damage, the ICA’s Storms page says: “Make a list of each damaged item and take photos. If possible, include a detailed description, such as brand, model, and serial number.” Moneysmart’s How to make a home insurance claim page adds: “The insurer will assess the claim, but it’s good to have your own photos and videos as a record of the damage.”

A home contents inventory for insurance, room by room

Use a spreadsheet, a document or an app. The format matters less than keeping it current. For each item, record:

• Room (lounge, kitchen, main bedroom, garage, shed)
• Item and description
• Brand, model and serial number, where there is one
• Purchase date and price, if you know them
• Condition
• What it would cost to replace today. Moneysmart’s wording is “at today’s prices”.
• Where the evidence is: receipt, warranty, photo or video file name

Then add the supporting files:

• Photos of each room and of valuable items, including serial-number plates
• A slow walk-through video of each room, opening cupboards and wardrobes
• Receipts, warranties and valuations you already hold, scanned or photographed

Once the list is done, Moneysmart’s Contents insurance page suggests: “Try the contents calculator and building calculator on the Insurance Council of Australia website, to get an idea of the amount of insurance you might need.” Moneysmart notes that “Most policies have maximum amounts on how much you claim for certain items”, so check your PDS for limits on things like jewellery or electronics.

A yearly routine

1. Pick a date you’ll remember. Your policy renewal is a natural one, because it’s when you check your sum insured anyway.
2. Walk the house. Add new items, remove what’s gone, and update replacement costs.
3. Re-shoot the walk-through video and photos. Phones make this quick.
4. Export the year’s version. Save the list as a PDF or spreadsheet, alongside the photos and video.
5. Keep a copy away from the house. A fire or flood that damages your belongings can also take a laptop or a paper folder with it.
6. Optional: timestamp that year’s version (see below).

Where a timestamp fits, and where it doesn’t

A TimeBind records a fingerprint of each file on the Bitcoin blockchain. That fingerprint is a short code calculated from the file’s exact contents. Later, it shows that the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. For a yearly inventory, that means you can show what your list, photos and video looked like on that day, rather than a version tidied up after a loss.

Your inventory is private, and a video of every room is sensitive. With TimeBinder, the files are fingerprinted on your own device and never uploaded. Each TimeBind holds up to 10 files, with no limit on size or type, so a yearly list plus its photos and video usually fits in one.

Two options:

• Pooled (1 Token). This is what the Free plan’s 1 Token a month covers. It’s recorded with other users’ fingerprints, usually within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity, and checked through TimeBinder. For a once-a-year record, this is usually enough.
• ASAP (3 Tokens, US$15 if bought on their own). It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away, and can be checked independently from the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain, without relying on TimeBinder.

Be clear about what this is. A timestamp is not an insurance record, a valuation or a receipt. It doesn’t show that you owned the items, what they were worth, or that the list is accurate. It doesn’t change what your insurer asks for or accepts. Your insurer decides a claim under your policy. If you’re unhappy with how a claim is handled, see below.

Ways to keep an inventory compared

	Spreadsheet or document	Photos and walk-through video	Receipts and valuations	Yearly TimeBind of the above
Lists what you own and replacement cost	Yes	Partly	Partly	No, it dates the files you add
Shows condition and that items were there	Partly	Yes	No	No
Shows purchase price and date	If you add it	No	Yes	No
Shows which version existed by a date	No, edits are easy	File dates can be changed	Dated by the seller	Yes, no later than the recorded time
Cost	Free	Free	Free (already held)	The Free plan’s 1 Token a month (Pooled)
What your insurer may ask for	Often	Often	Often	Not something insurers ask for

For why file dates alone are weak, see date created vs date modified vs date taken and can a file’s date created be changed?

When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool

• You need a valuation. For jewellery, art or collectables, a written valuation from a qualified valuer does a job a timestamp can’t.
• Your insurer has its own app or inventory tool. If it offers one, use what your insurer asks for first.
• You’re in the middle of a claim now. A timestamp made today only shows what your files looked like today. Follow your insurer’s process and the Moneysmart claim steps.
• You won’t keep the original files. A TimeBind is checked against the exact file, so if you re-save or lose it, there’s nothing to match.
• A simple list is all you want. If you’re happy keeping a list, photos and a backup, that alone covers what Moneysmart and the ICA suggest. A timestamp is optional.

If you’re unhappy with a claim decision

Moneysmart notes that your insurer “may be a subscriber to the Insurance Council of Australia’s General Insurance Code of Practice”, which “sets out what insurers should do when handling your claim”. Start with your insurer’s complaints process. If that doesn’t resolve it, AFCA’s Make a complaint page says: “The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) is a free, fair, and independent service that helps consumers and small businesses resolve complaints about financial firms.” Its preparation tips include: “Gather any documents that support your complaint.”

Plan details were checked against timebinder.io/pricing on 30 October 2026.

Date this year’s inventory. The Free plan’s 1 Token a month (no rollover) covers one Pooled TimeBind of up to 10 files. Do it once a year, at renewal, and keep the certificate with your copies. See plans and start free.