Burglaries from homes in England and Wales increased by 14% in the course of the year 2010-11 based on the British Crime Survey. This increase will be stressing for homeowners, as being the unwilling recipient of burglary can be extremely distressing and costly. If your home is burgled it’s worth pursuing these 10 easy steps. They’ll enable you to deal with a burglary and also make a profitable insurance policy claim with a loss assessor.
1. If you find that you’ve been burgled, definitely call the police immediately.You need their documents as proof to process a claim in many cases.
2. Call the police from a mobile or from a neighbour’s home if you feel the burglars may still be within your property.
3. Never try to clear up until after the police have been and finished the research. They are prone to deliver specialist officers who’ll take photographs to check out fingerprints, so it’s vital that you preserve as much evidence as you possibly can. They will additionally provide you with a crime number, that you’ll need when doing your insurance claim.
4. Check your home thoroughly for missing and damaged items. Draft a long list of everything and try to include makes, models and serial numbers if you’re able to. It is also useful to include any purchase receipts if you’ve got them.
5. Burglars often search for bank and charge cards. If yours have been stolen be sure to call your bank’s emergency numbers and have all of them cancelled. These services are usually accessible 24-hours a day, One year a year so you shouldn’t have to wait until office hours.
6. Check whether any essential files are missing, like your passport or driving license. Should they be then you will need to contact the relevant authorities. To find their contact details it is worth searching online for the best numbers to contact.
7. Get in touch with your insurance companies and let them know about your burglary. Try to remember to have your crime number to hand when you contact. They’ll then start your insurance claim.
8. If the cops have finished their enquiries, your own insurance company may arrange to board up any broken windows or replace damaged locks. If your coverage doesn’t include this particular emergency cover, you’ll have to arrange this on you own. As always you need to use reliable tradespeople, so you may find websites like Checkatrade useful, where you can read reviews of their assistance left by some other clients in your region.
9. Contact professional insurance loss assessors. If necessary, they can offer assistance by giving authorized contractors and locksmiths to secure your home. They’ll additionally help you make an extensive list of all of your stolen & damaged possessions. They’ll then represent you all through your insurance claim, helping to make sure that you get a complete and acceptable settlement from your insurers.
10. Lastly, review your security plans. If you haven’t already, think about fitting locks to your home windows and security bolts to your doors. You could also think about installing a burglar alarm.