House Break Ins - How to Prevent Them
We know that few things in life feel worse than being the victim of burglary. Not only do you lose your precious belongings, but a robbery can also shake your confidence and feel like an invasion of your personal privacy.
To make matters worse, if you don't have sufficient home insurance, you'll have to cover the repair or replacement costs yourself.
Thankfully, you don't have to live in fear of burglary — if you want to prevent a house break in from occurring in the future, you can make use of the following list of tips and tricks. Utilizing these tips will greatly reduce the chance of a break in from taking place.
START A QUOTEDo you want to reduce your home insurance rates?
We know that home insurance is an expensive cost associated with buying a house, but it's essential if you want to protect your property. Thankfully, you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for coverage if you team up with a Surex insurance advisor.
At Surex, our primary goal is to help you save money on insurance, whether it's home insurance, car coverage, or anything in between.
After a quick chat with one of our experienced insurance advisors, you can potentially save up to 25% on your home insurance in Canada. And when we say "quick", we mean it — our insurance brokers can provide you with ten personalized home insurance quotes in ten minutes or less.
Contact a Surex insurance advisor today to learn more!
How to secure house from break in 101 — tips and tricks every homeowner should use
If you want to learn how to prevent break ins from occurring in the future, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to do.
Simply make use of the following tips and tricks that our team of insurance advisors have put together:
Avoid leaving packaging in plain sight
It's human nature to make simple mistakes, but if you want to prevent break ins, we suggest that you avoid making this common mistake.
After getting an expensive item, we suggest that you dispose of the packaging quickly and discreetly. Doing this will prevent others from learning that you recently purchased a sought-after item.
Here's a common example:
Imagine that you recently purchased an expensive video game console that has a reputation for being hard to find. After setting up the console, you leave the box in your recycling bin. A passerby notices the box and decides to break in the house to steal the console.
This simple example clearly displays how our actions can lead to a break in.
Don't post social media content while out of town
If you and your family are planning on leaving town for a week or two, we suggest that you avoid posting personal photos or videos on your favourite social media platforms during your trip.
Posting content on social media may seem harmless at first, but it can potentially lead to a burglary.
Here's another brief example:
After arriving in a foreign country, you decide to post a photo on social media with a caption explaining that you're out of town for several weeks. A person stumbles upon your post and decides to take advantage of the situation by breaking into your home.
When you return from your trip, you find that thousands of dollars worth of valuables are gone.
With all of this in mind, you can see why posting on social media while you're out of town can make you a prime target for a break in.
Bonus tip - Public social media profile
Do you have a public social media profile? If so, you should consider switching to a private account.
Doing this prevents unwanted social media users from accessing your personal information, like your address or schedule. Giving a criminal access to this information is like handing them a treasure map with a big X on your home.
Don't hide a spare key
Remember the spare key that you hid under your doormat all those years ago? Unfortunately, it's more of a liability than a safety precaution.
Criminals tend to look for house keys in cliche hiding spots like under doormats, flowerpots and decorations. If you have a key in one of the areas mentioned above, you may want to think about removing it.
If you're dead-set on having a spare key, then we suggest leaving one with a trusted neighbour, friend or family member that lives nearby.
Change the locks after moving into a new home
Although it may seem like common sense, many new homeowners forget to change their locks after moving into a house.
If you don't change the locks to your new home, anyone who has ever had a copy of the key to the home can potentially enter the premises. In turn, you're putting yourself and your family at risk.
In contrast, changing the locks makes it extremely difficult for a criminal to enter your house and drastically decreases the chances of break ins.
Add theft to your home insurance policy
Although this tip won't prevent break ins from happening, it does ensure that you'll receive financial support. Most home insurance providers offer theft and vandalism coverage; however, it's up to the homeowner to decide if they want to add it to their policy.
Choosing not to add theft coverage to your policy may help you save a small amount over time, but it simply isn't worth it. The minute amount that you'll save is outweighed by the costs you'll have to cover if thieves break into your home.
For a reasonable amount, most policyholders can add theft coverage to their named perils insurance policy.
Additionally, most all-risk home insurance policies automatically include theft and vandalism coverage.
Protecting your home from break ins is easier than you think
Do you live in a neighbourhood with a high crime rate? Are there reports of increased break ins in your town or city?
If so, you should make use of the tips and tricks mentioned above. Trying these tips could be the difference between your home getting targeted by criminals or not.
