Resources
Practical guidance for the first days after a loss, when contents decisions get made.
Before anyone assesses your belongings
- Photograph rooms as they are before anything is moved or bagged — wide shots first, then close-ups of anything valuable or unusual.
- Do not run heat-producing appliances or clothes dryers on smoke-affected textiles. Heat can set odour and stains.
- Do not plug in or switch on electronics that were exposed to water or heavy soot.
- Separate wet items from dry ones if you can do so safely — damp items will transfer moisture and odour to everything they touch.
- Leave visibly charred or structurally unsafe items where they are.
- Write down what you remember about high-value or irreplaceable items before the details blur.
Categories that are usually time-sensitive
- Wet paper, books, and photographs — options narrow within days.
- Leather and natural-fibre textiles that are damp.
- Electronics exposed to soot, which is chemically corrosive to circuit boards.
- Anything stored in a warm, closed, damp space where mould can establish.
- Musical instruments and anything with glued wood joints.
- Items with sentimental value that cannot be replaced at any price — say so early so they get prioritised.
Working with your insurance carrier on contents
Contents are usually a separate part of a property claim from the structure, with their own limits and their own documentation expectations. That means the quality of your inventory matters — a list that says "kitchen contents" settles differently from one that itemises what was in the kitchen.
Restoring an item is frequently less expensive than replacing it, which is why carriers often prefer a cleaning attempt on categories where success is likely. That preference is not universal and is not something we can promise on your carrier's behalf.
Keep your own copy of every inventory, photograph, and recommendation. Coverage decisions are made by your carrier.
This is general guidance about handling belongings after a loss, not legal, insurance, or conservation advice. What is right for a specific item depends on its material and its exposure.
Not sure whether something can be saved?
Tell us what happened and roughly what kinds of belongings are involved. A coordinator can review the request and route it to a provider who handles contents.