Don’t Forget the Closet!

There’s no need to wait until the end to take stock of the things that occupy space in your life. The CheckOutPlan section called Taking Stock provides a unique solution that helps people to identify their most important possessions. Members can describe and upload photos of objects and then decide where that item should go at the time of their passing. As well, Check-Out members use Taking Stock to identify items in their home, storage units and other locations for a variety of reasons:

1) Protection of Family Heirlooms: It’s possible that over the years, with favorite possessions stored out of sight and mind, that very important heirlooms or items of value may have been forgotten. If someone who didn’t know the value of these things are cleaning your place, would they know their value? At first glance many items do not seem to have any value to someone who doesn’t know any better. It would be a shame that if during the clean-up after your “Big Event,” that these things were mistakenly thrown out or donated instead of staying in the family. Taking stocking and sharing this information with your team can prevent this.

2) Insurance: If you had a loss for which you had insurance, the insuring company generally requires proof of ownership and value. The total value of the things you listed can also help you determine how much insurance you need to buy in the first place.

3) Allocation: By reviewing each item it provides an opportunity to think about each item and who you would like that item to go to.

4) Location: When your loved ones are busy dealing with organizing your Celebration of Life they may not have the time to search for the special items that may mean a lot to them, or you wanted them to have. By making a list of the things in your home and including the location of that item, you will reduce the stress and help ensure that treasured items are given to the person you intended them for.

5) In Case of Theft or Fire: Use the Taking Stock section to securely store your important documents and memories. A fire or burglary can quickly and unexpectedly destroy important documents, photos and videos. Having these irreplaceable items stored digitally with CheckOutPlan.com not only makes it easier for your survivors but also for yourself, providing an easy central place to access your digital records as needed.

To make the most of the Taking Stock section, please see a few suggestions below.

Follow These Tips and Hints to Simplify the Process!

1. Pick one room to start. If using the “360 Degree Method,” pick the room to the immediate right of your front door and list items in that room and others (floor to ceiling) using a 360 degree sweep of that floor or story.
2. If possible, take your mobile laptop, smart phone or tablet with you.
3. Start “taking stock” in that one room and be thorough, check all of the closets, cupboards and storage boxes. List each article of value in your Taking Stock file.
4. Do one room at a time.
5. If you are using CheckOutPlan for insurance purposes, attach a value to each the items you are including the Taking Stock section. Upon completion, simply add up the values and enter this into the “Notes” section of the first page. Use this finished inventory and total value to review your insurance requirements with your insurance broker. Having this record will greatly assist you if you have a loss such as fire or burglary and need to prove your claim with the insurance company. Let your team know about your intentions here. Once you select Share With Team your team can see and share your Taking Stock files if you are unable to.
6. Continue to all the rooms in the house, and don’t forget crawl spaces, basements, attics, storage lockers, vehicles, boats, yard sheds, outdoor spaces, or items that may be stored at the homes of family or friends.
7. Once you are satisfied that all the important items have been accounted for, providing direction on what to do with the rest will be helpful to your team using the Donation and/or Recycling sections.
8. When you make additional purchases, or acquisitions it is easy to just add them to your existing list. And, it is easy to change who receives items as needed using the Taking Stock section.

Tips for Taking Stock

Worried about people “switching” your stuff? If you are concerned that someone in your family may try to switch out items and not honor your wishes, we suggest you do the following:

a) Add stickers with numbers and place on the most important items.

b)  Take photos of those items with the sticker/number clearly visible and upload them into the Taking Stock workspace. Once you select “Share With Team,” CheckOutPlan adds an ID stamp that clearly shows the date, time and ownership of the document. And, just like that, your wishes will become known to your trusty team.

If using paper to take notes…

If you decide to use paper/worksheets first, we suggest that you upload these into CheckOutPlan.com in the Taking Stock section as they can work as supporting documents in need be.  

Preserve memories

When you come upon items that have special sentimental value, consider adding them to the Making Memories workspace as well. Working through the Taking Stock process is also an excellent opportunity to assess items that you would like to become part of the memories that you leave as well.

CheckOutPlan.com helps people to plan for end-of-life events and share their memories with family and friends. Share your stories and ensure your final wishes are followed. Visit CheckOutPlan.com to get started for free today!