The complete guide to evaluating your furniture before requesting a home insurance quote

Do you own valuable furniture, works of art, or significant high-tech equipment and want to properly insure your home? This guide walks you step by step to evaluate your household contents value accurately, piece by piece, and avoid unpleasant surprises at the time of settlement. It is for tenants as well as owners who want to protect their assets without paying an unnecessary premium.

Prepare to Assess Your Household Contents

Before calculating the amount to declare to the insurer, gather the right tools and familiarize yourself with the rules. A rushed valuation can cost dear after a claim, whereas methodical preparation only takes a few hours.

Prerequisites and Starting Conditions

This guide requires no particular legal or insurance skills. You simply need access to all of your home, including annexes: cellar, garage, loft, and dependencies. Reserve a quiet slot of 3 to 4 hours for a 70 m² apartment, half a day for a house, without interruption. Do the inventory with two people if possible: it is the best way to forget nothing in the closets and high storage areas.

You must distinguish two essential legal concepts. The household contents designate the set of movable property by nature, that is to say everything that can be moved: furniture, appliances, clothes, TVs, jewelry. Conversely, real property by destination, such as a custom built-in kitchen sealed to the walls, a fitted wardrobe or fixed fixtures, fall under the building guarantee and must not be counted in this capital. This distinction avoids you from overvaluing your declaration.

To find the best home insurance quote suited to your situation, you will need a precise estimate and solid proof. Insurers apply limits and strict calculation rules: approximation rarely works in your favor. Once the estimate is ready, you can compare price proposals on a realistic basis, without underinsuring.

What to Gather

First gather the digital materials: a computer or tablet with a spreadsheet, a smartphone to take photos, and a secure storage space, like an encrypted cloud or digital safe. Add a tape measure if you need to describe large pieces, and a notebook to note difficult-to-read references.

On the document side, bring out all available purchase proofs: invoices, receipts, delivery notes, auction bids for auctions, certificates of authenticity for art and jewelry. If you have misplaced invoices, retrieve your bank statements, warranty certificates, family records or notarized succession deeds. They can serve as indirect proofs. The more references your file contains, the stronger it will be during an expert appraisal.

Take Your Time

The exercise remains accessible to everyone. Allow 2 to 4 hours for the inventory of a standard home, then 1 to 2 hours to value the items and sort the invoices. The cost is zero if you do it yourself. Only expert appraisal of works of art by an auctioneer or an expert certified CNES or CEA is paid, between 80 € and 300 € per item depending on complexity, to be renewed every 3 to 5 years. This expense significantly reduces the risk of contestation during settlement.

Attention: do not confuse sentimental value with insurable value. The insurer compensates the material value of the item on the day of the incident, never personal attachment. Stay factual and quantified.

Step 1: Assess the consequences of a poor declaration of your assets

This first step is to understand why the declared amount directly determines what you will receive after an incident.

The household contents value is the basis of your multi-risk home contract (MRH). In France, these contracts cover more than 46.1 million homes and account for nearly 31% of cases before the Insurance Mediator, often regarding disputes related to valuation. If you underestimate your capital, article L121-5 of the Insurance Code authorizes the insurer to apply the proportional rule of capital and reduce the settlement amount proportionally to the underdeclaration. Concretely, if you declare 30,000 € when you own 60,000 € worth of items, even a partial loss of 10,000 € will only be compensated up to 5,000 €, or 50%.

Overvaluing your capital brings you nothing either. Article L121-1 of the Insurance Code establishes the indemnity principle, which prohibits any enrichment without cause. You will never receive more than the real value of your damage on the day of the incident, even if your guaranteed capital is higher. You will simply have paid too high a premium.

Also check the less visible limits. Most standard contracts limit valuable items, jewelry and watches to a fixed amount between 3,000 € and 5,000 €, or to 10% to 20% of the total household contents without option. Beyond that, you are not covered. Identify these sub-limits in the general terms before valuing your assets. An intentional misrepresentation can lead to the nullity of the contract according to article L113-8, whereas an unintentional omission can lead the insurer to reduce the settlement amount or cancel the contract according to article L113-4.

Tip: reread the "movable assets" and "precious items" pages of your current contract. Highlight the general limits and sub-limits by category. You will then know if your coverage needs to be increased or complemented by an extension.

Step 2: Draw up a complete item-by-item inventory

A methodical inventory is the only way to obtain a reliable total without forgetting discrete everyday items.

Proceed by systematic grid. Go through every room without exception: living room, bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, hallways, walk-in closets, cupboards, cellar, loft, garage, garden shed and dependencies. Apply the so-called "house turn-around" rule: note everything that would fall if you turned the house upside down. This includes tableware, linens, curtains, books, toys, ornaments and tools.

Create a standardized spreadsheet with at least these columns: room, precise name, brand, model, serial number, purchase date, new price including tax, condition and location. For each line, indicate the price paid rather than an approximate estimate. The content of cupboards and closets alone represents 25% to 35% of the total value of standard furniture, between the wardrobe, shoes and leather goods. It is often the forgotten part, even though it can push capital from 20,000 € to 35,000 €.

Photograph and secure the proofs

Take two types of photos in each room. Start with an overview showing volume and layout, then take close-ups of distinctive details: labels, markings, manufacturer plates, serial numbers on the back of devices. Photograph the inside of open drawers and wardrobes too. These images constitute a useful file during the expert appraisal after an incident and limit disputes.

Exclude from this file items sealed to the structure: masonry worktop, custom built-in kitchen, impossible to move fitted wardrobe, fixtures. They already fall under the walls insurance. Once the inventory is done, immediately backup the spreadsheet and photos on an external medium: encrypted cloud, digital safe or send to your own email address. Never leave the only copy in the home: it could disappear with the incident.

Common mistake to avoid: estimating from memory. Without photos of serial numbers or invoices, the expert often retains a minimum value. Take five extra minutes per room to photograph the references.

Step 3: Estimate your high-tech devices and mobile equipment

The multimedia equipment weighs heavily in the household budget and depreciates very fast. It therefore deserves a separate valuation.

List all equipment: OLED or 4K TVs, projectors, soundbars and home theater, desktop and laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, cameras, smart home objects and home automation. For each device, note the brand, exact model, serial number and, for phones, the IMEI number of 15 digits. Also note the associated manufacturer accounts, useful for proving ownership.

Anticipate the depreciation applied. Insurers use depreciation grids of 25% to 30% per year for IT and multimedia. A laptop bought for 1,200 € two years ago is now only worth 500 € to 600 € in use value. A TV follows the same logic. Without an option, reimbursement after two or three years can become derisory. Therefore distinguish the sedentary equipment, covered only at the insured address, from mobile equipment that accompanies you outside.

Check specific guarantees for digital

Control three clauses in your contract: protection against electrical power surges due to lightning, accidental screen breakage and theft outside the home coverage. The basic formula rarely covers a phone stolen in transport or a tablet broken on vacation. An mobile or all-risk mobility extension covers these devices at purchase value up to 2 years for phones and up to 5 years for computers.

Home insurance only compensates physical hardware and excludes intangible value: files, photos, downloaded software, virtualized licenses or cryptocurrencies. Backup your data elsewhere. To value your equipment, add their replacement price at the day of the inventory, then account for depreciation to anticipate what you would actually receive without a new replacement option.

Tip: group high-tech invoices in a dedicated folder and photograph the IMEI by dialing *#06# on each phone. Keep screenshots of Apple, Google or Microsoft accounts linked to devices.

Step 4: Have your art furniture and collection objects appraised

Above a certain threshold, valuable objects can no longer be covered by a simple flat declaration.

Paintings, sculptures, period stamped furniture, prestigious watches, jewelry, silverware and rare collections are concerned. MRH contracts become unsuitable as soon as a work exceeds 6,000 € to 10,000 € per item or when the set of valuable items exceeds 20% of the total household contents. A specific coverage then becomes necessary.

You have two systems to choose from. With declared value, you indicate an amount, but will have to prove the value after an incident thanks to invoices and appraisals. The burden of proof is on you, and the insurer can contest the rating. Agreed value relies, on the other hand, on a prior expert report binding on the insurer. Written by an auctioneer or certified expert CNES, CEA or CEDEA, this report describes, authenticates and prices each piece. The settlement is then made based on the agreed amount, without depreciation deduction.

Organize the appraisal and security measures

Have a detailed report established with photos, dimensions, provenance, condition and estimate. Update it every 3 to 5 years to take into account the evolution of market ratings in the art. Without an update, you risk being compensated on an obsolete value, whether too high or too low. Keep the auction bids and certificates of authenticity with the report.

For high precious capitals, insurers impose mandatory prevention measures they can verify. They condition theft coverage: A2P certified locks with 1 to 3 stars, video surveillance system connected to a center, EN 1143-1 certified safe of class 1 to 5 depending on value. Non-compliance with these requirements, even in case of proven break-in, can lead to refusal of compensation. If you lend or move a work, ask for the so-called "clou à clou" guarantee, which covers the work from unhooking to rehanging.

Caution point: do not mix costume jewelry and fine jewelry. Only precious metals, stones and prestigious watches fall into the category of valuable objects to be declared separately.

Step 5: Select the right settlement mode

The amount you will receive depends on the valuation mode chosen at subscription. It is a concrete trade-off between the premium amount and the protection level.

The default system is use value. According to article L121-1 of the Insurance Code, the compensation cannot exceed the value of the item on the day of the incident. The use value is calculated as follows: replacement value at new minus depreciation. Depreciation takes into account age and wear. Average grids apply about 10% per year on standard furniture, 20% per year on major appliances and hi-fi, and up to 30% per year on IT.

The new replacement option improves this calculation. It first reimburses the use value, then adds a share of depreciation up to a contractual limit, often set at 25% or 33%. If the actual depreciation reaches 50%, the remaining 17% to 25% remains on you. The most protective option is new replacement. It finances the purchase of a new item with similar performance without deducting depreciation, at market price on the day of the incident.

Compare conditions and settlement

The new replacement is subject to age limits: often 5 to 10 years for furniture, 2 to 3 years for high-tech. Beyond that, you fall back to use value. Payment is made in two stages: first the use value, then the recoverable depreciation supplement upon presentation of purchase invoices, generally to be provided within 24 months. Without actual purchase, you do not receive this supplement.

To choose, look at your household composition. If your furniture is new and very technological, new replacement avoids a significant straight loss. If you mostly have massive furniture less sensitive to obsolescence, replacement value may suffice. Also compare per-incident deductibles and purchase deadlines. A cheaper contract with a 350 € deductible and non-recoverable depreciation beyond 25% may end up more expensive after a water damage than a contract costing 8 € more per month with full replacement.

Step 6: Build your proof file and request a quote

The final step is to turn your inventory into a solid file and accurate declaration for the insurer.

Under article 1353 of the Civil Code, the burden of proof rests on the insured. You must demonstrate the existence, nature and value of destroyed or stolen items. Gather direct proofs: paid invoices, scanned receipts, auction sale slips, certificates of authenticity and delivery notes. Classify them by room and year in clearly named digital folders.

In the absence of an invoice, gather acceptable indirect proofs: bank or credit card statements showing debit, warranty certificates with serial number, contextualized family photos showing the item at your home and, for inherited items, notarized succession appraisals. Digitize everything and store it outside the home, in a digital safe or encrypted cloud. Also keep a copy on an external medium with a relative.

Fill in the quote and organize follow-up

At the time of filling out the quote form, report the total capital calculated and detail its composition. Indicate separately the total amount of standard furniture, that of valuable items and works of art, as well as that of mobile equipment. This breakdown activates the right clauses and avoids unexpected limits. Check that the proposed amounts match your totals, line by line.

Check indexing clauses. Contracts use the RIEC index or the FFB construction cost index to automatically revalue capitals each year according to inflation. This indexing does not account for your new purchases. So make a full revision every 12 to 24 months and request an immediate addendum for any single acquisition above 1,500 € that modifies your risk profile. Finally check deductibles, exclusions and mandatory prevention measures before signing.

Final tip: schedule an annual reminder on a fixed date to update the spreadsheet, photos and invoices. Ten minutes of update are better than undercompensation of several thousand euros after an incident.