The Boyscouts motto “Be Prepared” is a good one to follow especially before you are hit with an unexpected disaster. KnowYourStuff is free online software from the Insurance Information Institute. The site walks you through taking an inventory of all of your possessions. You go through your house room by room. You can add a video or photos as well as receipts for your furniture, appliances and other valuable items. All of your information is securely stored online so you can access it from anywhere in the event of a burglary, fire or disaster.

I sometimes blog about technology issues for real estate agents. A few weeks ago I blogged about ways to back up your smart phone. Two days later an agent contacted me. She had read the blog post and thought it was a good idea but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. That morning she got the black screen of death on her smartphone. If only she had backed it up when she read the article.

Making a household inventory is a smart idea, so set aside some time, grab your digital camera and this free software and get it done!