What is the value of everything you own in your house?  What would it take for you to trade your stuff in for cash and buy everything over again?  I really had to think hard about it because Barb1954 asked me if we didn’t have too little possessions?  Truth is when we moved in 2005, we would have taken $10k in cash instead of having the company move our stuff.  It cost them $50k and trust me it wasn’t worth it.  In our networth calculations I say we only own our cars, everything else is crap. 

So for insurance purposes I began to video tape our stuff. Yep you should videotape your possessions.  Problem?  I don’t think our stuff is worth the $31k we have insured for!  Eek.  So here’s the list of replacing our stuff.  We bought a bunch of stuff new when we moved to New England, but everything we brought was used and free mostly.  I had lived with a TON of roommates who everytime they moved out they didn’t pack anything up and left it for me.  So I kept pots, pans, dishes, etc.

• Dinner Table – new $100
• Refrigerator – new $1000, but we’d replace it with something nicer
• Stove – new $1000
• Dishwasher – new $500
• Washer/Dryer – new $1000
• Kitchen Aid Mixer – new $300
• Pots and Pans Calaphon – new and used $1000
• Dishes – new and used $1000
• Knives, Cutlery, glasses - new and used $500
• Toaster Oven – new $50
• Bread Machine – used $10
• Deep Fryer – new $20
• Rugs – used free
• Coffee Table – used free
• Couch – new $1100
• TV – new $1000
• Stereo – new $300
• 2 DVD – new $40
• Wii + games – new $500
• Guest Bed – used $50
• 5 bookshelves – new and used $100, 3 were free
• Desk in guest bedroom - used $20
• 2nd desk – used $10
• 2 Desk Chairs – new $20
• 2 Snowboarding gear – new $600
• Vaccum - new $100 
• Bedroom set – new (IKEA) $800
• Bedroom TV – new $250, 2002
• Shoe Rack – new $10
• Coat Rack – used free
• file cabinets – new but free from neighbor who works for staples
• luggage – used free
• Elliptical machine – new $200
• Clothes – new/used $4k, $2k each for shoes, jackets, etc.  I doubt we spent that much but sure
• Window Hangings – new $1500

Totalling that up we have $17k worth of stuff to replace. I knew it was a little but it feels a little skimpy.  We don’t really own too much stuff.  Like I said $10k a few years would easily have replaced everything we owned.

There is irreplaceable stuff like a card my grandmother made for me, or the love character she made by embroidery, or the cranes I folded for my wedding.  But those things are irreplacable and the monetary value I’m not sure. It’s not buyable.  Plus we haven’t really replaced much of our stuff from college.  So our stuff a lot of it looks like college student stuff, old, used, ratty, etc.   So $31k would be an upgrade.

What do you think it would cost to value your stuff?