How well is your home protected while you are away on vacation or for an extended weekend? Many homeowners and renters don’t think much beyond having a homeowners or renter’s insurance policy, but along with a good property insurance policy, there is more you can do to prevent the theft of your personal belongings and the fear and insecurity caused by having burglars invade your personal spaces.
Understanding What Burglars Want when They Invade Your Home
Burglars tend to look for specific items when they invade a person’s home, and it’s not typically the large furniture. They want things that are of high value and can be carried out of your home relatively quickly.
- Alcohol
- Cash and Credit Cards
- Guns and Weapons
- Jewelry
- Personal Identification for Identity Theft Purposes
- Portable Electronics
- Prescription Medications
Understanding How Property Insurance Protects Your Home After a Burglary
Your homeowners or renters insurance policy will help replace your belongings after a burglary by providing you with a certain amount of money once you file the claim. This is very beneficial for replacing items that were stolen, but it doesn’t help prevent the burglary.
Homeowners Insurance
When we talk about a homeowners insurance policy, we are talking about a policy that provides coverage for damage to your home and personal property that is caused by fire, theft, vandalism and certain types of severe weather. There are two versions of this policy. The first type of policy pays the estimated value of the items minus your deductible. The second type is replacement cost coverage. This type of policy covers the actual cost to replace the items minus the deductible, and most homeowners opt for this type of coverage.
Renters Insurance
When we talk about a renters insurance policy, we are talking about an insurance policy that protects your belongings. This is anything inside the rented home or apartment that you brought into the space. If your items are damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, or certain types of severe weather, your renter’s policy will pay to replace those items. However, it does not cover the landlord’s building or any of the attached structures inside the unit. Your landlord’s insurance policy would cover those. This means that if a burglar breaks down the front door of your apartment and steals your jewelry, laptop, and cash, your policy will replace your electronics and jewelry. Your landlord’s policy would replace or repair the front door.
Additional Ways to Protect Your Home from Burglars
In addition to having homeowners or renters insurance, there are a few things you can do to deter burglars from trying to break into your sanctuary. The easiest thing to do is to leave your TV or radio on while you are away. Most burglars won’t attempt to rob a home that’s occupied. You can also leave a vehicle in your driveway if you own more than one vehicle or are having a friend pick you up to take you to the airport. Large-breed dogs also deter burglars. You may also want to install a security system with cameras and make sure there is at least one visible camera at all the entrances and exits to your home. If a burglar does get inside your home, you can make it for difficult to get to your valuables and personal identification by keeping them in a heavy, locked safe that can’t easily be lifted or carried out of your home.
By taking these steps to protect your home and making sure your homeowners or renters policy is up-to-date, you will be deterring burglars from entering your home and stealing your belongings and protecting your sense of security and well-being. If a burglary does happen, you are also making sure you can replace your stolen items.
