Home Insurance: Theft

By Author: Foster carr
Total Articles: 30
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It is almost impossible to make your home completely theft proof, but there are lots of things you can do to minimise the chances that you will be targeted. A suitable home buildings and contents insurance policy will protect you against the cost of replacing or repairing anything that is stolen or damaged, but some things may be irreplaceable to you because of their sentimental value. The best way to prevent your home from being targeted by burglars is to make sure that yours is not an easy mark for the opportunist thief.

For your house to be as secure as possible, be sure to lock your doors and windows and use your burglar alarm if you have one. Even when you are at home, there have been examples of thieves letting themselves into unlocked houses and taking car keys, wallets or handbags without the owners even being aware they had been in. Dont leave valuables by the door where they can be stolen.

Its also worth bearing in mind that if you are out and your bag is stolen with your keys in it, if there are also letters with your address in the bag then the thief has access to your house. Try to avoid carrying your ...
... address with your keys, and if your keys are stolen, be sure to change your locks as soon as possible.

It is also worth changing the locks when you first move into a new house because the previous occupiers may have kept copies. Think carefully about whom you are prepared to trust with your keys, the workman or neighbour that you leave them with could easily take copies. And it goes without saying, leaving keys under a pot or a mat is not a good idea.

Do not leave anything lying around outside your home that a burglar could use as a house breaking tool. Bricks, ladders, spades and even wheelie bins can be used by burglars to smash or access windows that you may think are secure. Trees or shrubs that make your house difficult to see from the road may make your house particularly vulnerable to burglars who know they can break in without being seen, so consider whether it is worth sacrificing a little privacy to ensure that your home is not attractive to thieves.

If you fail to use your existing security measures like burglar alarms, your insurance policy may be invalidated and your claim in the event of a burglary could be refused. If the worst does happen, call the police immediately and your insurers as soon as possible.

Your insurance company will need details of all the things that have been stolen, so it is a good idea to make an inventory of your belongings, for example once a year, and to keep receipts for any big purchases. This will help you to make sure that your insurance policy gives you the right amount of cover in the first place, and if you do need to claim it will help the insurance company. Taking photographs of things like clothes, dvds and jewellery can be an easy way of proving what you have and the condition it is in.

Your insurance company will be experienced in dealing with burglaries and can offer useful advice on how to make your home as safe as possible. While it is important to have home insurance in case you are unlucky enough to be the victim of a burglar, the best course of action is to prevent it in the first place.

With Kwik Fit Insurance home insurance , your home and your treasured possessions will be well-protected from the unexpected.