Regardless of your reason for moving some of your possessions into a storage unit, it's a good idea to contact your insurance provider and inquire about storage insurance. While storage facilities are highly secure, protecting your possessions with insurance is a good idea, just as you protect your possessions at home with homeowners insurance. Simply getting insurance isn't enough — youl also need to meticulously document your items so that if you do need to make a claim, you can provide clear details to your insurance company. Here are some steps to take to get the job done correctly.

Gather All Your Receipts

While you won't likely have receipts for everything that you plan to relocate to your storage unit, you'll likely have receipts for some of the items. Put all these receipts together, making copies if necessary, so that you have proof of what certain items are worth. This paperwork will be valuable in the event that you have to make a claim. For example, if you're storing a TV that were to get damaged, your insurance company won't know how the value of the TV. When you're able to clearly provide a receipt that shows the brand, model, and price of the item, your claim process will be quicker and easier.

Take Photos Of Each Valuable Item

In advance of moving things into your storage unit, lay each item on the floor in a brightly lit room and photograph it. A clear photograph will show that you indeed own a particular item, which will be an asset if you don't have paperwork that proves your ownership of something. If the item has a serial number or another form of identifying information, document this area with a photo, too. You don't need to take this step with items that have no real value. For example, if you're packing some old family photos or linens, you'd be unlikely to make an insurance claim on them.

Document Everything In A Spreadsheet

Make up a spreadsheet document to keep track of everything that you have in the storage unit. You can provide this information to your insurance company in the event of making a claim. Set up the document to include multiple columns that you can populate with as much information as you know about each item. For example, in a series of columns, write the name of the item, its value if you know it, when you bought it, its serial number, and any other similar details.