Organize all the documents you need for tax, insurance, refinancing, and eventually resale purposes, and add them to a comprehensive home file. You may want to invest in an accordion folder, a file box, fire safe or other container to keep files together. Consider renting a safe deposit box to safeguard vital records, such as your deed, your mortgage note, title insurance and homeowners policies, and your will.

If you ever need to make an insurance claim for your house and personal belongings- it pays to be thorough. Many people are unaware of how much all their clothes, sports equipment, televisions, computers, jewelry, yard equipment, etc really adds up to. If you own valuable jewelry or art, you should have their value re-appraised every 5-7 years and update your insurance policy accordingly. Save your receipts for major purchases and take photos of everything- otherwise you will have no proof you actually owned the object. Always make copies. It’s best to keep a complete set of your records both at home and work in case one place is damaged.

• Purchase data: Original listing of your house, comparable market analysis, any notes you want to save.

• Closing data: All papers signed or given to you at closing, including your deed, mortgage note, settlement statement, title insurance policy, appraisal, disclosures and other forms.

• Loan data: Original loan application, record of payments, list of documents required by lender (you may need these if you refinance).

• House data: Blueprints, floor plans, architectural records, historical information.

• Home inspection report: Record of your house's condition at time of purchase; which can be a useful guide for home maintenance

• Other inspection reports: Termite, lead, radon, asbestos, soil or other reports. Keep any receipts for treatment or repairs.

• Insurance: Homeowners' insurance, flood or earthquake policies; a list of your home's contents and estimated value with photographs or videotape to document (keep a copy in your safe deposit box, if you have one).

• Home improvements: Ongoing record of major home improvements made and receipts (for possible tax use when you sell the house). You may want to divide these into major remodeling, minor improvements and landscaping categories.

• Property taxes: Tax bills, record of payment.