What is a home inventory?

Keep the details you might need later

A useful record can include an item’s name, room, photo, purchase date and price, serial number, barcode and warranty notes. Record what you know. An unknown purchase date can stay unknown; a made-up date is less useful than an honest gap.

The aim is to make details easier to find. “Where did I put that?” might lead you to a room record. “Is it still under warranty?” might lead you to the purchase date and warranty terms you saved. A record supports those checks; it does not automatically locate an item or confirm warranty coverage.

When can it help?

• Moving house. Record belongings room by room before packing, then update their rooms when they have a new place. Keep photos and identifying details with the item record.
• Spring cleaning. Use one room as a manageable starting point. Revisit older entries as your belongings change, rather than treating the inventory as a list you finish once and never open again.
• Wedding gifts or a new household. Record new belongings while their details are at hand. You do not need to invent a purchase price for a gift.
• Insurance renewal. An inventory report can give you a list to review or discuss with your insurer. Ask what evidence they require. Recorded prices are not appraisals, and a report does not determine coverage or a claim outcome.

Start with one item

Choose something nearby. Give it a recognisable name, assign its room, add a photo and record the details you already have. Then decide whether the same approach will work for the next item. You do not have to record the whole home today.

A paper list, spreadsheet, notes app or dedicated inventory app can all be starting points. Choose a format you can maintain and retrieve. Our Kept and spreadsheet comparison explains the differences without assuming a DIY approach cannot hold images or create a PDF.

Plan how you will keep a copy

Think separately about a readable report and a copy that can restore editable records. Check where each file is saved and whether you could reach it without your current device. Review a report before sharing it, including which personal details and photos it contains.

In Kept, inventory stays on your device with no Kept account or automatic cloud sync. Create a password-encrypted backup manually through Files and keep its password safe. Your chosen destination handles any storage or sync of that exported copy. Kept excludes its internal inventory from automatic device backups; a PDF does not replace a restorable backup.

Starting with Kept

Kept for iPhone and iPad starts free with 10 items, unlimited rooms and every inventory feature, including PDF export and encrypted backups. Plus is optional and only removes the item limit. It is available in the United States and South Africa. Explore Kept or see the current Free and Plus details.