How to protect your home from burglary? This is a key issue for almost all homeowners. With burglaries so rife, you must have wondered how safe your home is when you are away.
There are several steps that you can take to thwart break-ins. Key among them is getting a reliable home security system.
Here are some scary burglary facts and stats that concerned homeowners need to be diligent of:
- There is one burglary every 15 seconds on average in the US.
- Homes are the targets of around two-thirds of all burglaries.
- Just around 13 percent of burglaries get solved.
- On average, property worth more than $2,000 is stolen in a burglary.
How To Keep Your Possessions Safe From Burglars
It’s just not possible to stash everything of value in a vault. That being said, there is still a lot you can do to keep your valuable possessions relatively safe.
As far as possible, try to keep your electronics and other valuable possessions out of sight. Ideally, those standing outside should not be able to see them.
Lock all doors and sliding windows before going away. Don’t allow bushes and foliage to proliferate in your yard where trespassers can hide.
Try calling the police to find out if they offer assessments on home security. Please don’t announce to all and sundry that you will be going away from home for an extended time frame. This is the opportunity that burglars look for. Just inform those who really must know and tell them to keep it confidential.
Avoid keeping spare keys in the garage or yard. A good idea is to install a system for which a keycode is required to access your property. Small and expensive items like jewelry should be kept in a safe.
After taking all of these security measures, check to see that sufficient coverage for burglary is included in your home or renter plan. If a theft does transpire, you will be eligible to receive compensation up to the limits prescribed in the policy.
Theft Outside Your Home – Is it Covered?
Homeowners’ insurance plans generally provide coverage for theft of personal property that can take place outside your house. This is known as “off-premises” coverage. It will cover things like theft inside your vehicle or your child’s dorm room. For an expensive item, you may have to take out a rider to cover its full cost.
There are plenty of steps that you can take to make sure that your home is relatively impervious to break-ins and intrusions. With the steps mentioned above, you can keep unwanted guests out. With the right insurance plan, you can be reimbursed for your losses.