Create a habit of taking a series of pictures of your home.
- Several times per year and before and after any work is done.
Why it matters: Time and date stamped pictures can help you in the event of an insurance claim or in a dispute with a contractor.
⚙️ How to get started: First, create an album on your phone using your address as the name of the album.
- When you have extra time, search your street in your photo app to find previous pics and drag those into the album.
💡 Zoom out—circle, zoom in—circle: Follow this process to create a great record.
👉 Start with a street view and take a picture of the front of your house.
- Go clockwise around the house, getting a pictures of every side with the roof in the picture.
👉 Repeat the circle but take closer pictures of the exterior.
- Capturing everything from walkways and sprinkler heads to windows and doors.
👉 Do a virtual tour of the inside, standing in the middle of every room and taking 4 or more pictures.
- Zoom in on appliances and equipment, entertainment systems and storage areas with valuables and collectibles.
✅ For your Smart Homeowner list
- Move those pics to your home album.
- A good record can help you with an insurance claim related to storm damage or theft.
- And can help you show a contractor the state of your home BEFORE they started the work.
Best,
Travis
P.S. If a contractor is working on an area you can’t access well — roof, attic, crawlspace — ask him to take before and after pictures for you.