With burglary on an alarming rise in the UK, it will pay well if you adopt a multi-pronged strategy to keep yourself, your loved ones and the precious contents in your home from falling prey to burglars on the prowl.
In addition to adequate cover, there are several other steps that can be taken by you to prevent burglars from getting inside your home in the first place.
There are several physical steps that you could take to reduce chances of a burglary in your home.
The biggest advantage is that these steps could also earn you a decent discount in your home and contents insurance premium rates.
You should start out by replacing all ordinary locks on your doors with mortise locks that are difficult to pick or pry open.
You should also replace all or most screws from your outer doors with sturdy bolts.
Your window locks too should be sturdy or you could also install grills on any windows that are at ground level.
Since most burglaries are caused by burglars entering through rear windows, you should make it impossible for any burglar to enter your home through a closed rear window or door.
You should also install an effective anti-theft alarm system on your property.
If possible, you should install a CCTV camera system that covers all doors and windows of your home as this might help in recording any burglary attempt for documentary proof.
You should also install flood-lights on your property so as to avoid any dark corners at night.
These moves will surely pay back in more ways than one since you can get great savings off on your premium rates if these gadgets have been installed by a NSI approved technician.
In case these deterrents fail to stop a wily burglar from carting your valuables away then make sure that they have been adequately covered in your insurance policy.
You should opt for the old-for-new cover since this move will enable you to receive an equivalent value of a new product in exchange for any old product that might have been stolen.
You might have to pay a higher premium for this cover but it is bound to be totally worth the trouble since most electronic items lose their value quite quickly upon purchasing.
You should also remember to add any newly purchased items in your home to your policy since these will not be covered in case they are stolen after you buy the policy.
Another huge move to reduce chances of burglary and lower your home insurance premiums at one go would be to shift to a safer area in the UK.
Insurance premiums rise frighteningly if you live in a high-risk area prone to burglaries and if you can afford to move out then this move could reward you in several ways by reducing chances of burglaries as well as reducing premiums in your policy.
It is important to protect your home from burglars in the first place.
If however you do fall victim to a burglary then you should be adequately covered so as to replace all stolen contents without pitching into your own pocket.
You should ensure that you take the above physical steps to protect your home and its precious contents while buying a home insurance policy that protects you financially in case of any theft.