While this is something we don’t like to think about, taking the time to consider what could happen if your home was broken into and protect yourself against the worst scenario could save you a lot of money and anxiety. Most home insurance policies include burglary cover, but it would be a good idea to double-check your policy to make sure.
Unfortunately, burglary and home break-ins are increasing across the UK. While we can speculate as to why this is happening, the sad fact is that some people are so desperate that they would break into someone else’s house and take their cherished belongings to make some quick cash.
To diminish the possibility of this happening to you, make sure your home is adequately protected against would-be burglars. Check all your window locks, install security systems, feed your guard dog and lock the garage. While it’s easy to think that it would never happen to you, it pays to be proactive and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.
Home Insurance
Aside from the physical proactive steps you can take to literally deter thieves and stop them breaking in, it is important not to underestimate them and to add one more layer of protection to minimise the impact of a break-in. This extra layer comes in the form of home insurance and contents insurance. Home insurance policies are very common and often include burglary cover.
If you are unsure whether this is included, call up your insurance provider and check. If you don’t have it on your policy you will be able to add it for a small monthly fee. If you don’t even have home insurance, now is the time to get it. Do a quick search for home insurance comparison and you will easily be able to find the best-priced policy for you.
What to do After a Burglary
Let us consider for a second that you were the unfortunate victim of a robbery and they stole all of your expensive electronics. The first thing to do is to take a deep breath and realise that these are just objects. After you have calmed down follow this list in order to begin your claim with the insurance provider.
Police – You should call the police in order to provide them with evidence so they can hopefully stop this from happening again in the future. This is also important for your insurance claim.
Reference Number – The police will give you a crime reference number that you can give to the insurance provider. This will allow them to corroborate with the police on your claim and access evidence.
Photos – Try and take as many photos as possible of the scene to provide as evidence to the insurance company. Remember, insurance companies deal with people that are trying to scam them by pretending a break-in happened or their device was stolen, so don’t be alarmed if they are extra vigilant and ask for a lot of evidence.
Insurer Payout
Hopefully, if everything goes smoothly, the insurer will payout for your home insurance policy enough to cover all the stolen property. If you have a good home insurance policy the insurer will payout on a new for old basis, meaning they will provide the cost of a brand new item to replace the one that was stolen, even if it was a few years old.
Hopefully, by reading this, you understand the benefit that having a home insurance policy that includes break-in cover can have. Check with your insurance provider to double-check you and your possessions are covered. If the worst does happen, stay calm and follow the above steps to help the insurance company get to the bottom of the situation and pay you the correct amount. They will require evidence and it may seem like they are working against you, but they need to be sure you are telling the truth. If everything goes to plan, you will be reunited with a new version of your stolen goods and be better prepared to deal with burglars in the future.
