Find out the value of your household contents with these tips
Many people know approximately what the value of their complete contents is. But with all the changes throughout the year and all the write-offs, it’s still pretty hard to keep track. Still, in certain cases it is quite useful to know the value of your contents. For example, after a move or if your household contents have been damaged by water damage or fire. Therefore, in this article you will read more about how to make such an estimate.
Contents or superficies?
Your contents are all the loose items in your home and yard, such as furniture, computers and jewelry. This also includes your bicycle and tools. In this case, it’s about stuff you can move. Do you have a kitchen with a designer refrigerator? If the refrigerator is moveable, then in most cases it is covered by contents insurance. If it is built in and cannot be moved, then it is probably covered by building insurance.
For design enthusiasts, it is helpful to insure your household contents with contents insurance. For example, you are usually covered against damage to your contents from storms, floods, fire and burglary.
But how do you estimate by value?
The monthly premium of your contents insurance depends on the value of your contents. So it is important that you can make a reliable estimate of the value, otherwise you may pay too much, or you may soon be underinsured. Of course, you can start adding up the value of all your belongings yourself, but there are other convenient ways to find out.
File keeping
You can, of course, keep a file where you have the purchase date, age and other items of furniture. Although this takes some time, it is often worth it. Many insurers have a so-called new-value rule to determine how much things are worth as they age.
Contents value meter
To make it easy on yourself, you can use an contents value meter. This is a tool based on an annual survey of the value of household contents in Dutch households. You enter data to let the tool create an estimate. For example, they ask for your age, income and how big the property is. It is also important to list valuable items so that the contents value meter can provide the best possible estimate.
Useful to know, though: if you have a particularly high income or live in a closet of a house, this tool is probably not useful for you. The inboedelwaardemeter is in fact made for the average Dutchman. If this is the case for you, it is better to opt for an appraisal.
Appraisal
Want to outsource figuring out your contents value? With an appraisal, you hire a professional (an appraiser) to come to your home to draw up a household contents list and use this to determine the value as precisely as possible. They also take into account whether items are brand new, or already a bit older and have lost some of their value. So this is a good way to get a clear overview of the exact value of your household contents.