Even if you lock your home’s doors and windows every time you leave, it’s still possible for a break-in to occur. Unfortunately, this tends to happen more often during the holiday season, when homeowners are traveling, attending festive gatherings or out shopping and running other errands. If you’ve been the victim of a burglary at your home, it’s important to know what steps to take afterward.
Notify the Police
If you find evidence that your home has been broken into, such as a broken window, stay outside and give the police a call. Wait for local law enforcement to arrive, then fill out a police report for the incident. Don’t move anything inside your home or around it. Instead, leave it alone so the police can investigate and gather evidence, such as fingerprints.
Take Pictures of Damaged Areas and Items
Taking pictures of damaged parts of your home or certain items can help with insurance claims. Your insurance company will want proof that your home was broken into or that specific items were damaged. Go around your house with a camera and take pictures of areas that were broken into or tampered with. Just make sure that you don’t disturb anything in these areas as you do so.
Notify Your Insurance Company
Naturally, the next step then is to get in touch with your insurance company within 24 hours to file a claim. Find out what paperwork and other information you’ll need to submit. Your insurance company can work with you to help cover the cost of replacing the items that were damaged and stolen from your home.
Try to Stay Positive
Although having your home broken into is an alarming experience, it’s important to stay calm while you deal with the aftermath of this incident. If no one was home during the break-in, be thankful that you and your family are safe. Keep in mind that most items can be easily replaced.
Improve Home Security
If you don’t feel safe in your home afterward, it’s a good time to take steps to provide you with more peace of mind. Once you’ve taken care of the immediate tasks, such as calling the police, it’s time to think about how you can lower your risk of having your home burglarized again. Take a look at the locks on your doors and windows and consider having them replaced with high-quality ones that will keep your home more secure.
If you need to replace your locks with ones that offer better security or if you’re looking for additional security tools to add to your home, please contact Area Safe and Lock Service. Our family-owned and operated locksmith company offers high-quality products and solutions to help keep your home safe.