Action Sheet — After the fire
Gathering evidence for your insurance claim: photos, inventory, invoices
Your compensation claim hinges on the first few days: anything that isn’t photographed or listed simply doesn’t exist in the assessor’s eyes. This approach — taking photos systematically BEFORE touching anything, drawing up a room-by-room inventory, and gathering supporting evidence of purchase — can make a difference of thousands of euros.
Key points
- Take photos of EVERYTHING before moving anything: wide shots first, then close-ups, including the exteriors.
- Do NOT throw ANYTHING away before the expert has seen it (or given their written consent) — even if it is charred, an object serves as proof of its existence.
- A room-by-room inventory: item, year, estimated value, photo — by that very evening, the memory has faded.
- Gather proof of purchase: order emails, bank statements, family photos in which the items appear.
Equipment: charged smartphone · notepad or notes app · zip-lock bags (small pieces of evidence)
Why it’s important
The insurance assessor quantifies what they can see and what you can provide evidence of. Without photographs or an inventory, the discussion tends to drift towards standard flat-rate figures — which are almost always lower than the actual value of your furniture, household appliances and outdoor fixtures. Conversely, a dossier comprising photos, an inventory and supporting evidence turns the assessment into a simple validation process. The full procedure (claim submission within 5 working days, advance payments, second opinion) is set out in insurance procedures.
How to do it, step by step
The ‘overall condition’ photo tour
As soon as you are allowed to return: every façade, every room as seen from the door (panoramic view), the garden, fences, the gate, vehicles, outbuildings. Take LARGE photos, dated (enable the time stamp), even — and especially — anything that appears intact but is covered in soot.
The ‘Details’ photo tour
Only then: close-ups of each damaged item, nameplates and serial numbers of the appliances (often still legible even when burnt), soot in the cupboards, warped woodwork, cracked windows.
A room-by-room inventory
In the notes app or on paper: item / object / approximate year of purchase / estimated price when new / photo number. Work your way through item by item without holding back — the contents of an ordinary home almost always exceed what you might imagine.
Please provide the supporting documents
Email inboxes (‘order’, ‘invoice’, ‘delivery’), bank statements (for large purchases), retailers’ customer portals, family photos and videos featuring furniture and appliances — the background from last Christmas is proof enough.
Look after your coins
Don’t put anything in the bin before the surveyor arrives. Group the debris neatly by area (the surveyor will look at an organised pile), and keep a few significant items that might be disputed in a bag (remnants of the leather sofa, the computer, etc.).
Back up your data twice
That very evening: photos and contact list copied from the phone (to the cloud and sent to a friend or family member). The evidence must not be allowed to disappear along with a lost phone in the chaos of the days that follow.
The mistakes that ruin everything
- ‘We’ll clear it all away first, then sort out the paperwork later’ — every skip that leaves is evidence that’s gone.
- Don’t just photograph the spectacular scenes: the damage caused by smoke and soot, whilst less photogenic, also adds up.
- Don’t hold back when making your inventory (“that won’t count”): list everything; the expert will sort it out.
- Carry out permanent repairs prior to the survey (in addition to temporary measures such as covering and sealing, which are reimbursable upon presentation of an invoice).
The tip that makes all the difference
Record your inventory on video: film each item slowly whilst providing a commentary (“American-style fridge bought in 2023, ~€1,200; family china cabinet…”). Twenty minutes of video is worth three hours of writing a list — and the timestamp is included.
Frequently Asked Questions
The risk changes every day. So do your reflexes.
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