How do I go about getting

Question

an appraisal done on the contents of my apartment and what is the average cost? For my renters insurance to fully reimburse me for the things I own they say I should have an appraisal done but they dont say how to do this. I live in Texas by the way

Answer 1

For renters or owners, it's a good idea to have a list of items that you own that are particularly pricey to replace. If you have heirlooms or expensive pieces of art, etc, then you would need an appraisal. Check your local yellow pages for an appraisal service. You can usually find them in art shops, jewelers, antique shops. Look for one in the field of the item you need appraised.

Use your digital cam to take pictures of your large items: furniture, art work, jewelry, computers, electronics, and get a notebook. Tape your pictures in the notebook, and then add the details: what year did you buy it, how much did you pay (include the receipt if you have it and it's a good idea to have it). Since you will get replacement value rather than cost, it's important to understand how much you have invested in an item. That means, if you bought a $1500 computer and then added another $2000 in upgrades, keep your receipts. Ditto for camera equipment, and other pricey electronics. You may need an umbrella policy for your renters policy, to help cover the replacement cost of these items. Also, if you have an item that you're renting, you want that noted in your policy-these items should be replaced at full cost. For instance, my home owners policy has a full-cost replacement for the $4000 piano that I make monthly payments on. Ditto for the $800 flute. I will get a full-cost replacement on these two items.

Make 2 copies of your notebook, and keep one in a safe place, like a fireproof safe or safety deposit box. Also keep one on a flash drive. You can easily create a Word doc with all this information, inserting the pics as you go.  

Answer 2

Agent is correct.   There is no appraisal for renters insurance.   You need an appraisal for certain items for jewelry, art, ect if it is a personal articles policy, but not for a renters insurance policy.

Find an agent that knows what they are talking about, or if your talking to the staff, then ask to speak to the agent.

Answer 3

i have never heard of getting an appraisal for renters insurance.  the only time i would suggest getting an appraisal done is if you have something of high value(jewelry, collections, ect) you need to schedule.  renters insurance is up to YOU to decide how much coverage you need to replace your belongings