Safeguard Your Home Against Theft with These Measures
It can be devastating arriving home to your front door kicked in or a window shattered. Upon further investigation, you find your home ransacked. Technology devices, jewelry, beloved items, and everything else in your home is jeopardized when you don’t take proper precautions.
Theft and vandalism may not be the most common varieties of homeowners insurance claims, but they can be difficult types of losses to recover from. Even after a home is restored, the fear caused by a break-in can linger and cause emotional distress to the homeowner, making it difficult to move on from the incident.
The Effects of Theft
6% of home insurance claims are due to theft. While this seems like a small figure, that is still a significant number of homes experiencing break-ins each year. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were approximately 2,159,878 burglaries in a one-year span, the majority of which occurred at residential properties.
The good news is that homeowners have several proactive options to help prevent or reduce their losses from theft. One of the simplest ways to deter burglars from stealing your personal property is by locking your doors and windows when you aren’t home. But that’s not the only way you can secure your home against a break-in.
How to Secure Your Home
In addition to locking your doors and windows, these are some of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of being victim to a burglary:
- Invest in a home security system, and ensure proper function. One of the biggest deterrents for burglars is a sign in your front yard advertising that your home is protected by a security system.
- If you’re going out of town for a long time, alert police so they can drive by your home to make sure that nothing looks suspicious. Ask trusted neighbors to keep an eye on your house and collect your mail to avoid newspapers piling up, as that often signals to burglars that no one is home.
- Never hide a spare key outside. No matter how great your hiding place is, a burglar could still find it and gain access to your home. Give your spare key to a close friend instead.
- Always secure doors and windows before leaving your home. Double-check that all doors and windows are locked so burglars aren’t able to simply walk in. If you’ve just moved into a new home, consider getting your locks changed, as you never know who could have a key.
- Get a dog to help protect your property. Large dogs can intimidate the burglars from coming in, and certain “yappy” breeds guard the house by barking to let you know when someone is approaching.
- Increase the amount of lights around your property to help deter thieves. If you can, invest in motion-sensing lights.
Don’t wait for an incident to occur before thinking about how to protect yourself. Protect your Connecticut home with a comprehensive Homeowners Insurance policy today.
Was this blog helpful for you? Be sure to check out our other blogs in this series on preventing common homeowners insurance claims:
About Byrnes Agency
At Byrnes Agency, we offer auto insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you have an old classic car or a brand-new model, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.
If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read here and would like to know when we’ve published a new blog post, please “like” us on our Facebook page, and share this with your Connecticut neighbors.
Phone: (860) 774-8549
394 Lake Rd
Dayville, CT 06241
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (860) 886-5498
6 Consumers Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360
United States
info@byrnesagency.com
Hours of Operation: Monday- Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Tags: Common Homeowners Insurance Claims, connecticut homeowners insurance, CT Homeowners Insurance, Deterring Burglars, Theft and Burglary