Hopefully, you have never had to deal with the ramifications of a home burglary. No matter how hard you try to keep your house secure and safe, these things can happen on occasion. So it’s important to know what procedures to take afterwards.
Continue reading to learn what you should do if you are the victim of a home burglary.
Call The Police
When you get home and find that your house has been broken into, the first thing you should do is call the police. Not only so that they can send someone to check things out and look for proof, but you’ll also need a reference number for your insurance company.
Listen carefully to what the person on the phone tells you to do and do it exactly as they say. You won’t want to hurt an investigation or put yourself in danger, and the controller will help you as much as they can.
Make Notes And Take Photos
When you find out that someone broke into your house, it might be hard to keep your mind on one thing. That’s why it can be helpful to have something to do. This will help you keep your cool and keep you from getting too stressed out at the beginning. One important thing to do is to walk around your house (as long as it is safe to do so) and take pictures and write down what is missing or broken.
But remember that even though it’s important to do this as soon as possible, you can’t touch anything until the police arrive. This is because they need to look for fingerprints and other evidence, and you can’t mess up the scene. Go ahead and take your pictures if you won’t disturb anything. If not, it will have to be done later.
Cancel Stolen Cards
If you think someone stole your bank cards, credit cards, or chequebooks, call your bank or credit card company right away. If you lose a phone, tablet, or laptop that had your login information and bank account information on it, you should also call your financial service providers.
You’ll need to cancel these cards right away and maybe change your banking details. This might not initially seem like a priority, but if a thief were to gain access to these things, they will often try to use them right away, knowing that as soon as they are missed, they will be cancelled. The sooner you can stop them being used, the better, as you’re likely to lose less money.
Make Things Safe
A break-in will make you feel weak and maybe even violated. At the very least, your home will be uncomfortable for a while. Even some people decide to move. No matter what you decide, you need to make your property safe as soon as possible. This means you will have to board up broken windows and call a mobile locksmith to change the locks on your doors in case your keys were stolen. Don’t forget your car either, because the thieves may have taken your keys for that as well.
You’ll be tired and stressed, but if you leave any of these things behind, it could cause problems. Your home won’t be safe, and you might lose more things while you’re gone.
Take Care Of Yourself
Once the initial chaos has died down and you’re alone in your home, it’s normal to feel a lot of different things. Anger, fear, frustration, sadness, and many other emotions will all fight for attention. While you’re feeling all of this, you’ll have to clean up, call your insurance company, and make sure your home is safe.
As you can see, all of this will have an effect. This is why, in addition to taking care of everything else, you need to take care of yourself. Bring a friend over to help, or leave the house for a few days while professionals clean it up. Rest and recharge so you can keep your mind clear and take steps to protect your mental health and stop this from happening again.
Check Your Insurance
A burglary can flip a person’s life upside down. However, having adequate homeowner’s insurance might help you pick up the pieces. It will help pay for damages to your property as well as the expense of replacing anything that has been stolen. On the majority of items, high-quality insurance provide “new for old” coverage, meaning you will receive enough to cover the cost of a brand-new replacement.
