Four steps, one room at a time: choose a room, take photos, describe belongings, save a backup.
A useful pre-loss home record starts with clear photographs of rooms, a few notes about important belongings, and a copy kept somewhere safe. It does not replace any detailed item-by-item inventory, receipts, or other information an insurer may request after a loss. Before Your Claim is built around making that first record manageable.
This page explains how it works and shows you how to begin today with the camera you already have. Nothing on this page saves photographs or records, and nothing here is a backup.
How it works
1. Choose a room
Give your home a name, then add one room. Start with the room you use most, or the one with the most in it. Rooms can be grouped by floor, so a larger home stays organized. In the app, this is Start with One Room.
2. Take photos
Wide photos work best. Stand in a doorway or corner and fit in as much of the room as you can, then take another from the opposite corner. One photo can show many things; you don’t need to list them one by one.
Open closets, cabinets, and drawers that are safe to open, and photograph what is inside. On a phone, use Take a photo. To add pictures you have already taken, use Choose photos.
3. Describe notable belongings (optional)
You do not need an entry for every belonging. Add one for the things that matter: something valuable, hard to replace, or easy to forget. A short description is enough, such as “Miscellaneous tools.” Then tick each photo that shows it. If you know them, you can add details such as the brand, model, serial number, or a receipt.
4. Save a backup
The app is designed to create a downloadable home backup that you can later import, together with a readable PDF report. It also has a separate Save PDF option.
Open the Free Home Record App
You can start your record now with your phone’s camera:
- Pick one room. Take two wide photographs from opposite corners.
- Open one closet or cabinet and photograph what is inside.
- Photograph the labels of two or three valuable items, such as a television, a tool, or an appliance.
- Copy the photographs to a second place you trust, such as a computer or a private cloud account, and open one to make sure it works.
Our guides explain each step in more detail: How to Photograph Your Home Before a Loss and Where to Keep Your Home Inventory So a Loss Cannot Take the Only Copy.
What is available now
| Available now | Being tested | Not offered |
|---|---|---|
| The guides on this website, including After a Loss and Help With a Claim | Online storage of your home record | |
| The four-step method on this page and browser app | The app for mobile devices | Recovery of records you have not backed up |
| Automatic backups |
Common questions
Does it cost anything? The guides are free. The app is free. See Why Is This Free?
Do I need an account? No. There is nothing to sign up for.
Where is my record kept? The app is designed to keep records on your device, in its own storage or the browser. You decide where to keep any exported backup. Verify that a backup opens before relying on it.
Can Absolute Adjusting see my record? The app is designed not to send your rooms, photographs, or notes to Absolute Adjusting. If you choose to share a record with someone, that decision is yours.
Is this a complete inventory? No. It records the rooms, photographs, and belongings you choose to include. After a loss, your insurer may require more detailed information about individual items.