A break-in is the stuff of nightmares for homeowners in the United States. Considering that there were more than 340 burglaries per every population of 100,000, you can’t risk being too complacent when it comes to securing your home.
Still, criminals are devising more sophisticated ways to enter private property. No matter how prepared you are against a possible home invasion, there is still a good chance that a burglary will occur. However, it is still possible for you to recover from your losses and quickly move on from the situation. All you need is to follow these essential tips for dealing with a burglary:
1. Avoid contaminating the scene
Even the most experienced burglars can leave traces of evidence. It’s important to preserve any indication of a break-in and be careful when you are moving around indoors. You wouldn’t want to contaminate the scene, so make sure to step outside your home and call the police from there.
2. Review your security system
Does your home have a surveillance system? If so, you will need to review surveillance footage of the trespassing to help authorities identify the culprit. If you are unable to provide such footage, then it’s possible for the burglar to have entered undetected through blindspots or tampered with your security system. Either way, you will need to include these factors as you prepare to file an insurance claim.
3. Keep a list
How much was stolen during the burglary? You will need to get a proper estimation of what was stolen and damaged. You can provide authorities with a list of items along with detailed information such as purchase price and the length of time you had them in your possession. For this, you will need to provide receipts and photos proving that you indeed owned such items. Keeping an inventory of your possessions should help you value your losses accurately and prepare a proper burglary claim.
4. Contact your insurer
Once you have a list of the items you lost to burglars, you will need to contact your insurance company and provide all the evidence you have gathered on the scene. On top of that, you will also need to work with an insurance adjuster who can help you get the most out of your burglary claim. Companies such as TSO Adjustment Service can aid you in recovering the amount that you have lost as a result of the burglary.
5. Undergo debriefing
Apart from the financial and material losses you have suffered, your family needs to deal with the trauma of knowing that someone broke into your home. You may want to undergo a debriefing with a family counselor. Everyone needs to open up about how they feel in the aftermath of the incident and determine how best to move forward.
Though you can always prevent a burglary from happening by changing your locks and investing in advanced security systems, it is still important to know exactly what to do in case it would happen. After all, you can learn from the situation and provide your family with added security.