I ask the client how much detail they want and explain to them that the more detailed we are, the more we charge. I let them decide. When I group items, I do misc. or assorted.
When I do an inventory, I tell the home owner that I can take individual photos of everything in their closet and dresser, but an overall photo works fine if I take individual photos of the more expensive items such as evening dresses and mink stoles, special and hard to replace items. I'll then ask them to give me a list and item count for inclusion in the group photo data. I list the group data such as "10 Shirts - western style in various colors/patterns, 5 pants - various colors/styles, 2 suits 1 blue 1 black, 3 pair cowboy boots, 2 black and 1 brown suede, 2 pair running shoes, 1 white Asics and 1 black Nike" etc. In other words, I photograph and list their clothing basically the same way I do their linen and towel closet.
When it come to these detail, I find that people would rather worry about counting and identifying their personal clothing themselves. I have provided a few worksheets to my customers for just this purpose. I have a one page listing of typical men's clothing, one page for children's clothing, and two pages of women's clothing items. I will open the closets and take one or two photos. But I don't go through and count the shoes and blouses etc.
I have found that I am invading their privacy by all that I am doing and often the customer has put a limit on just how much they want to do. I try to respect the client and that includes whether they want me to go into dresser drawers. Again, this is why it is always a good idea to have the client with you as you go through their home.
George
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George A. Childs Owner
Quality Home Inventory Service, Inc. 24 Stockton Dr. New Castle, De. 19702
Im working through the details of doing an inventory and so far the task seems a bit overwhelming.Perhaps some of you can share your insight on how you approach the following tasks.
When it comes to shoes and clothing, how do you handle these items?Im thinking they should be entered asExample:1 Lot Mens clothing with a dollar value provided by the client???Then only the big ticket items would be listed individually.
Curio Cabinets that are stuffed full of knickknacks?Do you photo them individually or shoot them in place and make a single entry for all items if they are of no real value? Thanks for your feedbackBrenda Hungerford
