What’s inside a KinBox?
Each KinBox is built around a simple idea: every important part of your life gets its own clearly labelled place.
Inside the system you’ll find:
- Around 15 main categories (things like Legal & Estate, Super & Retirement, Banking, Property, Insurance, Health, Vehicles, Digital Life and so on)
- Around 60–70 labelled folders for specific items and accounts
- Double-sided checklists in every folder
One side tells you what to put in
The other side gives your next of kin a simple way to track what they’ve found and what’s still missing
- A Protected Documents pouch for passports, birth certificates, titles and other originals
- A Key System pouch and tags for rounding up and labelling the keys around your home
- Clear, step-by-step instructions for setting it all up and showing your NOK where it is
While you’re alive, it’s your home base for paperwork. When you’re gone, it becomes a map that helps your kin find and manage what they need.
When should I set up a KinBox?
You definitely don’t need to be old or unwell to set up a KinBox.
If you:
- Have a partner, kids or dependants
- Own or rent a place
- Have super, insurance or a car
- Pay bills, have subscriptions, bank accounts or a phone
…then someone will eventually have to deal with all of that.
Setting it up while life is normal is much easier than trying to do it when someone is very unwell or has just died. Even if you’re early in adulthood and don’t have much yet, a KinBox gives you a single place to build into as life gets busier.
It also makes a great wedding, new baby or house-warming gift for exactly that reason.
If we’re a couple, do we need one KinBox or two?
It depends how tangled your lives are.
- If most things are joint (shared accounts, shared properties, shared bills), start with one KinBox for the household.
- If you each have a lot of separate finances or businesses, you might prefer one each, or a main KinBox plus a smaller extra system for side businesses or personal investments.
Our recommendation: start with one. Once you’ve begun filling it in, it’ll be obvious whether you need extra folders or a second system.
Why isn’t KinBox a digital product or app?
We all have information scattered across:
- Online portals and apps
- Email inboxes and cloud drives
- Bits of paper and our own heads
KinBox doesn’t try to replace your digital accounts. Instead, it:
- Tells your kin what exists and where to find it
- Gives you one printed checklist per item (you can handwrite, print from your computer or simply drop in statements)
- Gives your kin a physical place to keep the paperwork they’ll receive – death certificates, payout letters, final bills, refund cheques, etc.
Not everything can live in an app:
- When someone dies, there is still real-world paperwork.
- People need to make notes (“spoke to Sarah at the bank, ref #12345”).
- Not every family member will be comfortable digging through phones, laptops and password managers.
A simple physical system with no passwords, no log-ins and no tech skills needed is often the thing that actually gets used.
How do I keep my KinBox safe?
Treat it the same way you treat anything else sensitive in your home.
Some options:
- Keep it in a safe, cupboard, wardrobe or home office that you’re comfortable with
- Use the Protected Documents pouch to hold passports, birth certificates and titles, and place that pouch in a safe if you have one
- Use the Key System so spare keys don’t float around in random drawers
- Avoid writing every single password in the box – instead:
List the services you use and where they’re held
Note how to access your password manager, or where your master details are stored
You stay in control: you choose who knows about the KinBox and where it lives.
Does KinBox replace a will or legal advice?
No.
KinBox is an organising system, not a legal service. It doesn’t:
- Create a legally binding will
- Provide financial, tax or legal advice
- Replace instructions from your solicitor, accountant or financial planner
It sits alongside those things and makes them easier to find and act on.
We always recommend having a proper will and any other documents your advisers suggest. KinBox simply makes sure your kin can actually find and use them.
What if I already have a filing cabinet or box?
Great – you’re already ahead.
If you’re happy with your existing container and just want the organising system itself, the KinBox Organiser System is the best choice. It includes:
- All the hanging files, folders, labels, pouches and checklists
- Full instructions for dropping it into your own cabinet, safe or storage tub
You’ll end up with the same structure as the Classic System, just using the box you already own.
How often should I update my KinBox?
We suggest:
- A quick check every 6–12 months – skim through and update anything obvious (new job, new account, change of address).
- An update when a big life event happens – buying/selling a property, major health event, separation, new baby, new partner, retirement.
You don’t need it to be perfect. Even a 70–80% complete KinBox is far better than no system at
Which KinBox system should I choose?
All systems use the same organising method and checklists. The difference is mainly in the container.
- KinBox Classic System – best for most households. Complete system plus a sturdy file box ready to go out of the packaging. Ideal if you want an all-in-one solution.
- KinBox Organiser System – everything but the box. Same folders, labels, pouches and checklists as the Classic, just without a container. Ideal if you already have a filing cabinet, safe or storage tub you like, or want to save on shipping.
Over time we may add other options (for example, different box styles), but the core organising system stays the same.
I don’t have that much stuff. Is it overkill?
Most people feel that way at first.
Once you start going through the checklists, you realise how many little pieces there are:
- Super funds, insurances and bank accounts
- Utility accounts, memberships and subscriptions
- Vehicles, loans, refunds owing, online wallets
- Contacts, communities, pets, household info
KinBox helps your kin by telling them both what you have and what you don’t. Knowing there is no life insurance or no second bank account is just as important as knowing there is one.
I have way too much paper. Will it even fit?
KinBox is not meant to hold your entire filing cabinet.
The idea is to:
- Keep one clear document or summary per item (e.g. one recent statement, policy schedule or print-out)
- Shred, recycle or archive the bulk once you know the essentials are captured
You’ll still have other storage if you want to keep historical paperwork, but KinBox becomes the quick-reference version that your NOK can navigate without drowning in paper.
Can I give a KinBox as a gift?
Yes. Many customers buy KinBox for:
- Adult children who’ve just bought a home
- Elderly parents who want to “get things sorted”
- Partners who are the “chief organiser” in the household
- Friends going through separation or major life change
If you’re gifting, we recommend letting the person know why you’re giving it and that there’s no rush to fill it perfectly – it’s there to support them, not to nag them.
What’s your returns and refund policy?
We put a lot of care into every KinBox and want you to be happy with it.
- If something arrives damaged, missing or incorrect, email us within a reasonable time (for example, 7 days of delivery) and we’ll fix it – replacement parts or a new system, depending on the issue.
- For change-of-mind returns, we’re a small family business and each system is assembled by hand. We can’t resell a box that’s been opened and used, so we only accept returns for products that are unused and in resaleable condition, and within our stated return window.
If anything isn’t right with your order the short version is: talk to us and we’ll do our best to look after you.