What a home's record should hold
Most houses have a folder of receipts, a few manuals and maybe a warranty card. It doesn't hold what an insurer asks for after a fire or what a buyer asks for at a sale.
What goes in
A record has a page for each thing in the house that could break or be stolen.
- The systems, meaning the furnace, air conditioner, water heater, electrical panel, well or sewer, and irrigation. For each, the make, model, age, who installed it, who has serviced it, and what they found.
- The appliances, the same way.
- The house itself. When the roof, windows, siding and foundation were done and by whom.
- What's inside, meaning the things you'd list for an insurer. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says an inventory makes a claim easier and should include the brand, the price paid, the purchase date, the model and serial number, photos and receipts.
- The paperwork, meaning permits, warranties, paint colors, and the plans if you have them.
- The people. The plumber, the electrician and the roofer, with how to reach them.
When it matters
After a fire or a flood, the Insurance Information Institute says the claim settles faster the more you know about what was damaged, including a description, the purchase date and the replacement cost.
When you sell, the record is proof. A buyer can see that the furnace was serviced every year and the roof was replaced in 2019 by a named company.
When something breaks, the record answers the first questions a contractor asks.
Where the folder falls short
The folder is in the house, and the NAIC says to keep a copy of your inventory somewhere else. The folder has no order. And it stays behind when you move, so the next owner starts over.
What Lyle does
Lyle keeps the record online, with the house. You write into it, and with your permission so do the contractors who work on it. You can edit or delete anything. When you sell, you can pass the whole record to the buyer. We don't sell your information or use it for advertising.