Your Home Contents Insurance And Theft
Burglary is one of the biggest causes of insurance claims in the United Kingdom. There is an estimated 4% rise alone in domestic burglaries in this year to date. It is becoming more important to take the steps needed to safeguard your home and to get the right home contents insurance cover to protect you from financial loss.
An amazing fact is that as many as a third of burglaries occur without a lock being force or a window broken.This means that lots of people leave their possessions exposed without a simple level of protection. And with one in six homeowners without contents insurance, this can be a costly move.
The good news is that most policies will cover the insured person from theft even if doors are unlocked when at home. Thieves can look around, maybe on warm days in the spring and summer, looking for a quick theft of wallets, keys or other small valuables. It is best to check where your policy stands if you have left the house unsecure when you go out.
You can lower premiums in high risk areas by taking steps to better secure your property. Window locks and door chains are a good start. Insurers will ask for your security level when a quote is sought. Install a burglar alarm and security lighting on the outside of your property.
If you have a safe, or a secure deposit box, this can add to the protection offer. If you can join a local Neighbourhood Watch scheme, this will add to the protection level. Finally, try to keep valuable belongings out of the sight of passers by.Some thieves work on an opportunity basis and if they see valuables sitting out, they may decide to target your home.
When the house is empty, you should lock everything and hide the valuables as mentioned above. Adopting the “it will not happen to me” attitude may only lead to you having to make an insurance claim for theft.
There may be exclusions and requirements for your policy. Be sure to check what is and is not covered in your policy detail in case you do fall victim to the unpleasant crime of burglary.
