The popular Netflix series is reducing clutter levels but also underscores an often overlooked coverage step.
While most people love the de-cluttering benefits of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, the insurance industry sees this as a fantastic opportunity for policyholders to take a very important but frequently overlooked step to gain the best coverage.
Nearly all renters and homeowners insurance customers miss this vital step to ensuring top coverage.
The Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo has become explosively popular. This is particularly true as people use the benefits of tidying up to help them to meet their New Year’s resolutions. The use of this method has helped enthusiastic viewers to clean up their homes, eliminate the clutter and stop living under the weight of possessions they simply don’t want or need anymore as they move forward in their lives.
It’s very easy to allow belongings to accumulate. However, this can become problematic when it gets in the way of an individual, couple or family’s ability to function comfortably, conveniently and happily within a home. To use this method, renters and homeowners go through everything they own, category by category.
How insurers want the benefits of tidying up using the Marie Kondo method to make claims easier.
One category at a time, all possessions are taken out so their owners will see everything at once. For example, all clothing at once, all books at once, and so on. Then, the Marie Kondo method encourages renters and homeowners to hold each item and ask themselves if the item “sparks joy” in their lives. That is, does it belong in their lives moving forward. If so, it is kept. If not, the item is thanked and set aside to be donated, recycled, or thrown away.
This process has been a boon for second hand shops receiving donations. At the same time, it gives renters and homeowners insurance customers the opportunity to take stock of absolutely everything they own. This process is something insurance companies are continually encouraging policyholders to do.
The thoughtful item-by-item process from the Marie Kondo method offers the chance for homeowners to effectively document all their valuables and possessions. With an app, pad and paper and smartphone camera, the benefits of tidying up can easily move beyond de-cluttering.
While homes become neater, more organized and filled only with items that spark joy, insurance customers can take pictures of their possessions and keep records of those possessions in case an insurance claim ever needs to 
be made. Thorough, up-to-date documentation is the key to an easy insurance claim. As customers decide if each item sparks joy, the benefits of tidying up can make sure those joy-sparking items will be covered in case of theft, fire, water or other insured disasters.
