You do not need a home-inventory app, a barcode scanner, or another subscription to document your home. The Home Inventory Master List was built for the tools most people already have: a free PDF reader, a phone camera for the proof photos, and either Excel or Google Sheets to keep the totals current year after year.
What software opens and edits it
The kit arrives as PDFs and one spreadsheet, in five files. The flat printable PDFs — US Letter and A4, plus an ink-friendly black-and-white US Letter version — open in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Apple Preview, Apple Files on iPhone and iPad, Files by Google on Android, and most modern web browsers. Print one room at a time and carry the pages on a clipboard if you prefer paper and a pen.
The fillable PDF is the working version for most people. Open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) on your phone, tablet, or desktop and tap-type into 185 fields as you walk: room inventories, high-value items, serials, and the proof index. Working on the phone puts the form and the camera in the same hand — list the item, then photograph its label. Save the completed file somewhere you can reach if the home itself is damaged: a cloud folder you control, or a copy shared with a trusted family member, is a sensible habit for any emergency record.
The Master Tracker is an .xlsx file. It works in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, and LibreOffice Calc. Google Sheets is the easiest free option if you do not own Excel: upload the file to Google Drive, open it as a Sheet, and your replacement estimates total as you add rooms — the demo shows 4 items totaling $4,050, a room summary of 28 items, and a proof index counting 3 items with photos and 2 with serials. Replace the demo rows with your own.
What devices it works on
- iPhone and iPad — fillable PDF in Files or Acrobat Reader; camera in hand for doorway and label photos
- Android phones and tablets — fillable PDF in Acrobat Reader; tracker in Google Sheets
- Windows and Mac desktop — best for the yearly review, with photos and receipts open alongside
- Any home or office printer — US Letter or A4, color or the included ink-friendly black-and-white version
A practical setup is phone room by room, desktop once a year: capture everything where it stands, then sit down annually to tidy values, add new purchases, and refresh the proof index.
What pairs with it
The kit pairs with the proof itself — phone photos, receipts, and manuals — each logged in the Photo & Receipt Proof Index so an item and its evidence never drift apart. [Affiliate slot: fireproof document bag] [Affiliate slot: label maker for storage bins] On the DealShore shelf, it pairs well with the Insurance Claim Communication Log for tracking every adjuster call and letter, the Post-Storm Roof Damage Inventory when a storm turns the inventory into a claim file, and the Water Damage Mitigation Log when the damage starts with water.
Honest comparison: this kit vs. doing it manually
You can inventory a home in a notes app or a blank spreadsheet, and many people start there — until the notes have no categories, the spreadsheet has no proof index, and nobody remembers whether the garage was ever finished. Inventory apps solve the structure problem but often tie your record to an account, a subscription, or their cloud. This kit keeps your record as plain files you own, for a one-time price, with the room-by-room prompts and the proof habit built in. It is honest about its limit: it cannot value your home for you. Your estimates stay yours, clearly labeled as estimates.
This kit is a general organization tool. It is not legal advice, consult an attorney about your situation — and it is not financial advice either. It states no valuation rule, depreciation schedule, or coverage term as applying to you.
Get the kit
PEACE. Get the Home Inventory Master List for $14.95, or find DealShore on Etsy.
Get free sample pages + new kit alerts — email contact@dealshore.com