The holiday season is usually a time of cheer and goodwill. Unfortunately, it can also be a time of tragedy, as it’s when more home break-ins occur as families leave for vacation or spend more hours away from home attending holiday parties and other festivities. If you come home to broken windows or a damaged door and find some of your valued possessions missing, you won’t want to hesitate to make necessary repairs. In addition, you will need to contact the local police and work with your insurance company to start restoring your peace of mind. A home break-in can be a scary event for your family, but the following steps will help you recover faster.
Call the Police
As soon as you notice that something is amiss at home, you should call the police. If you see signs of a break-in, it may be best to call the police before entering your house, as the intruder may still be inside. Even if you do enter your home, do not start cleaning up or moving items around until the police arrive. Leaving the crime scene undisturbed will allow the most accurate investigation of your property.
Document What’s Missing
One step you can take as you wait for police is documenting what is missing from your home. You will want to jot down any missing items as well as their approximate value. If you keep valuables like jewelry, antiques, and fine china at home, then it is a good idea to inventory these items so that you have an accurate assessment of their value if they are ever stolen or damaged.
Another step you should take is documenting any damage to your property caused by the break-in. Are there broken windows? Is the front entry door damaged? Was the property otherwise vandalized? In addition to helping you recover the value of stolen property, your insurance company may help you pay for any property damage caused by the burglary.
Notify Your Insurance Company
In order to file an insurance claim related to a burglary or break-in, you need to call your insurance company within 24 hours. Most renters and homeowners’ policies will offer some level of coverage for stolen property. However, you may need to schedule a visit for an insurance claims adjuster to visit your home and assess the damage in person.
Schedule Window Repairs Right Away
A broken window or door can leave your home with a significant vulnerability, so you should not hesitate to call for repairs right away. Not only can broken windows leave your home more susceptible to bad weather, but they can make your home a target for future break-ins. Immediate window repairs will give you the peace of mind you need to return to your normal routine.
Secure Your Home from Future Break-Ins
Along with necessary repairs, you might schedule some home upgrades to help prevent future break-ins. For example, you might opt to replace all your windows with more secure, energy-efficient modern windows. This is a particularly good idea if your windows are older than 10 years. Upgrading your entry doors is another way to reduce the chances of someone breaking in to your house. In addition, you can outfit your home with some smart technologies to ward off unwanted visitors. Smart doorbells that feature cameras can let you see who comes and goes from your home. Modern home security systems can also let you see what is going on at your house on your smartphone, even while you’re away. You might even be able to turn on lights or the T.V. to make it appear as if someone is home while you’re out on vacation.
If you suffer a break-in this holiday season, make Crandell Glass and Aluminum one of your first calls. We can help you repair broken windows, damaged doors, and other damaged elements of your home. Call us at (520) 512-5042 to reach our window repair experts in Tucson.