Burglaries from households in England and Wales increased by 14% during the year 2010-11 according to the British Crime Survey. This rise will be worrying for homeowners, as being the target of burglary can be extremely distressing and expensive. If your home is burgled it’s worth following these 10 easy steps. They’ll help you handle a burglary and also make a successful insurance claim with a loss assessor.
1. In the event that you’ve been burgled, always call the police right away.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 think the burglars might still be within your property.
3. Never try to clean up till after the cops have been and finished the investigations. They are prone to send specialist officers who will take photographs and look for fingerprints, therefore it is important to protect as much proof as you can. They will additionally provide you with a crime number, which you’ll need when making your insurance claim.
4. Check your home carefully for missing and broken merchandise. Draw up a long list of everything and then try to include makes, models and serial numbers if you’re able to. It’s also useful to include any kind of purchase invoices if you have them.
5. Burglars often search for bank and charge cards. If yours have been stolen be sure you call your bank’s emergency numbers and have them cancelled. These services are usually available 24-hours a day, One year a year so there’s no need to wait until office hours.
6. Check whether any other important paperwork are missing, like your current passport or driving license. Should they be then you will need to contact the appropriate authorities. To find their contact details it really is worth searching online for the right numbers to contact.
7. Speak to your insurance companies and tell them about your burglary. Remember to have your personal crime number to hand whenever you contact. They’ll then start your insurance claim.
8. If the police have finished their enquiries, your insurance company may arrange to board up any busted home windows or replace damaged locks. If your policy doesn’t include this particular emergency cover, you will have to arrange this on you own. As always it’s important 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 local area.
9. Contact professional insurance loss assessors. If necessary, they can offer assistance through providing approved contractors and locksmiths in order to secure your premises. They’ll also help in making an extensive list of all of your taken & broken possessions. They’ll then fully handle your case throughout your claim, helping to ensure that you get a full and acceptable pay out out of your insurers.
10. Finally, review your security arrangements. If you have not already, think about fitting locks for your windows and security bolts on your doors. You might think about putting in a burglar alarm.



