When I started self-hosting, I was mostly curious about backup tools and free alternatives to paid software. But I soon realized that certain niche, focused self-hosted apps were making me more productive.

I’ve started using self-hosting as a way to organize my files, get my chores done, and create checklists of every little thing I need to buy and get done. Recently, though, as I started unpacking furniture in my house and moving things around, I realized I really needed a way to stop misplacing items — and that’s where HomeBox comes in.

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What is HomeBox?

Inventory management for regular people

HomeBox is open-source inventory management software that you can self-host. It is aimed at regular people, rather than being a specialist tool for retailers, IT managers, or business owners.

This made it perfect for my needs, since, like the developer, I wanted something simple (but more sophisticated than a spreadsheet) to help me keep an inventory of items in my home. It’s focused on simplicity and ease of use, so it doesn’t require much configuration to get started with.

It allows you to add locations, items, images, labels, costs, and other information, such as serial numbers. But it also has a handy search feature that lets you filter through items that you’ve uploaded so that you can easily locate them.

The benefit of it being simple is that it is also lightweight, which means I could set it up on my NAS with limited RAM.

Getting started with HomeBox

Add locations, then start sorting your items

You can easily run HomeBox in a Docker container, but it can also be run as an executable. I chose to run it as a container on my NAS to make it easily accessible around the clock.

When it came to the Docker Compose file, I used the example provided by the developer. The only adjustment I had to make was the volume for my data.

Once the service is set up, you can create an admin user. When you log in, HomeBox will provide a set of default locations that you can choose to edit or delete. I removed locations that didn’t apply to my home, such as Attic and Basement, and added locations such as a guest bathroom and storage room.

These main locations serve as parent locations — you can then divvy them up further into smaller locations. For me, this included creating sub-locations that are essentially the different furniture and storage items I have in the room. For example, in my living room, I added sub-locations such as Coffee table, Display cabinet, and TV unit.

For a room like my office, there were even more sub-locations. For example, certain boxes and bags serve as sub-locations, which appear in locations such as my desk, main cupboard, or secondary cupboard. This helps create a hierarchical structure that makes it easy to find items. For example, I know I keep certain items in my tech accessory organizer, but I’m not always sure where I put it.

I also added a few labels to the items to make them easier to organize. Right now, I’m focused on cataloging my electronics, adapters, cables, DIY items (such as furniture wax and paint stripper), and my tools. But I plan to expand this further to include other items that I keep in storage around the house and often misplace.

How HomeBox is helping me keep track of things

It removes some of the mental load

My home is usually in some organized chaos. I have locations where I tend to put things, which act as my go-tos when I am looking for something. For example, I have a few locations where I tend to put old tech and adaptors.

But there are a few things that make this system challenging at times. Firstly, I have ADHD, so when I put something out of sight, I often forget it’s there at all. This results in clutter around the house, since anything on my to-do list is placed on surfaces so that I don’t forget about them.

Meanwhile, when long periods of time pass while something is stored, I’ll completely forget it exists. This means that when I need to check if I have something, I often go through every place I know I would have stored it in order to make sure. This happened recently when I needed an SDHC card for a product I was reviewing.

It also means I waste a lot of time looking through drawers and boxes when I have limited energy on any given day. Add in a chronic pain flare-up or a migraine, and I waste precious energy trying to figure out where things are.

With HomeBox, I now have a searchable database that tells me exactly where these items are. Instead of wasting time and energy looking through different cupboards and unpacking shelves, I can just type the item into a search box.

It is taking some time to catalog everything, but I am currently moving some furniture around and reorganizing things anyway, so it’s the perfect time to implement this system.

The process is not only reacquainting me with the items that I have, but also making sure that I don’t forget about them again once I pack them away.

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HomeBox is simple yet effective

In many ways, HomeBox embodies what I enjoy most about my favorite self-hosted tools — balancing simplicity with functionality. Often when I try out apps aimed at improving my productivity, I become overwhelmed by the features or the setup involved.

But HomeBox is easy to set up, simple to get started with, and effective at helping me find and catalog items around the home. In those ways, it avoids the drawbacks of productivity apps that I often encounter.

HomeBox

HomeBox is a self-hosted inventory management platform for home users.