How to Handle Yourself After a Burglary

If you return home to discover that your property has been burglarized, do you know what to do?

Hopefully, you never find yourself in this position, but it’s still a good idea to have a plan in place following a burglary.

Doing so will streamline the process of getting your life back to “normal” working order.

That’s why we’re going to walk you through the steps of what to do after a burglary.

1. Call the Police

If you discover a broken window, the door kicked in, or other signs of a break-in, dial 911 IMMEDIATELY and don’t even think about entering your home.

If you discover signs of a break-in once you’ve entered your home, leave immediately! Burglars typically leave long before the homeowner or resident returns, but this isn’t always the case.

A burglar could still be hiding inside your home, which is why it’s important to have the local police clear your residence.

The police will go through your home, checking to make sure the burglar is no longer present.

2. Repair the Damage

Unless the burglar entered through an unlocked door or window, there’s probably damage done to your home.

The next step in getting your life back on track following a burglar is to repair any damaged doors, windows, siding, or other parts of your property.

Don’t wait until you’ve contacted the insurance company before making repairs. For each day a door or window remains broken is another day for a new burglar of the original burglar to return.

Go ahead and have them repaired, saving your receipt for insurance purposes.

3. Check All Doors And Windows

Sometimes burglars intend to return, either because they were scared off before they had time to scour your home, or they couldn’t carry anything else.

They may intentionally unlock an obscure window somewhere, giving them easy access on the return trip. Make sure every door and window are locked.

4. Obtain a Police Report

After the police have finished surveying your home, ask for a copy of the police report.

This is usually necessary when filing a homeowner’s insurance claim. Some reports will be created on the spot, while others may take days to create.

5. Itemize the Stolen Property

Now comes the not-so-fun part of creating an itemized list of your stolen property.

Make a list of each item that was stolen during the burglary, including its estimated, depreciated fair-market value.

If you have receipts or photos of any stolen items, set those aside as well.

6. Contact Your Insurance Company

With your police report and itemized list of stolen items in hand, you should contact your homeowner’s insurance provider to notify them of the incident.

They will likely ask some questions about the incident and have you complete some paperwork. The sooner you complete these tasks, the sooner you’ll receive reimbursement for your stolen and damaged property.

Let Us Help!

Cleaning up in the aftermath of a burglary is stressful, to say the least.

But unless you want to find yourself in this same position again, it’s paramount that you take the necessary precautions to strengthen your home’s security.

With Cultris Security, you can rest assured knowing that your property is safe and secure. We will handle everything from installing alarm systems and video surveillance to monitoring the feeds.

Cultris Security is the premier provider of residential and commercial security solutions.

Contact us today at (281) 506-8466, and we will do an assessment of your home and recommend the appropriate security system.

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