Home insurance: Theft

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 remembering that if you are out and your bag is stolen with your keys in it, if you have letters with your address in the bag then the thief has access to your house. Avoid carrying your address with your keys, and if you have and your bag is stolen, change your locks as soon as possible.

It is also advisable to change the locks when you move into a house because the previous owner or tenant could have kept copies. Be careful who you trust with your keys, the workman that you leave them with could easily make copies.

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 anything that has been stolen, so it is helpful to make an inventory of your belongings, perhaps annually, and to keep receipts for any major purchases. Photographs can be a useful way of making a record of the number and condition of items such as clothes and jewellery.

Your insurers have experience of dealing with burglaries and will often be able to offer useful advice on how to make your home as safe as possible. This might even lower your premium. While it is essential to have home insurance in case you are ever the victim of a burglar,the best possible course of action is to prevent them from targetting your home in the first place.

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