A blank spreadsheet is an invitation to make plans. You add a column for the item, then the room, then the purchase date. Perhaps a category would help. And a photo. By the time the headings are finished, you still have not found the spare keys.

Before choosing a tool, pick a question you want it to answer. “Which box has the decorations?” is a useful question. So is “Where did the spare bike lights go?” Each gives you somewhere to begin and a way to tell whether the effort was worthwhile.

A list beside the cupboard

For a few boxes in one place, paper may be all you need, as long as it sits where you will see it before opening lids. There is more on naming and photographing boxes in the storage boxes article.

Paper is less convenient when you want to check from a shop, or when several people need separate copies. A photograph of the list helps, but only until the paper changes and the photo does not.

The notes app you already open

A phone note gives you searchable words without asking you to design a spreadsheet. Use a heading for each box or cupboard and plain names for the contents. Add photos where they help you recognize an item.

Try an entry you might actually look for: “Spare curtain hooks: bedroom cupboard, small tin.” Search for it using the word that first comes to mind. If you tend to call them curtain clips, add that too. A familiar note with useful words can do more for you than a carefully organized file you never think to open.

If you share a note, check that everyone can access it and understands who should update it. Before relying on it somewhere with poor reception, try opening and searching it without a connection.

When a spreadsheet is worth the setup

Not everyone finds a blank grid inviting. If making the spreadsheet is the reason you have not started, try a note or a photograph instead. Even if you enjoy spreadsheets, consider how often this one will need updating. A list of stored boxes may need changing only when you put something away. Tracking the contents of a bag used every day could mean editing it every evening.

Rows and columns become useful when you want to compare items or filter a longer list by room, owner, size, or location. Begin with the fields you actually consult. You can add more later if you find yourself needing them.

Photos need some thought. Will you put them in the sheet, link to a folder, or keep an album with matching names? Try looking up one item on your phone before entering several hundred.

Trying a dedicated app

An app is worth considering if attaching photos, searching locations, or sharing selected items is awkward in your current setup. Test those tasks with a few real belongings. Check what works without a connection, who can see shared content, and what an export contains.

Itemsbase is a home inventory app for keeping a record of your belongings, so you can check what you own and where it is kept. It is in development for iPhone and Android.

You add items to that record with photos and the places where you store them. Search then helps you find the item you need. Try starting with the cupboard you chose earlier, rather than entering the whole house at once. The install page will have the store links when the app is released.

Open an export before depending on it as a backup. Check whether you can read the item names and locations outside the app, and whether the photos are included or supplied separately. It is better to find out now than on the day you decide to move everything somewhere else.

Choose one troublesome cupboard and record enough to answer your original question. Use the record the next time you need something. If it helps, keep going. If you avoid updating it, reduce the detail or try a simpler tool before spending another evening entering things.