Home Robbery: What to Do in the Immediate Aftermath

Construction & Contractors Blog

You come home. You open the door. You turn on the lights. You are greeted by a sight that looks like a bomb has gone off. Your possessions are everywhere, and some of them are no longer in your home at all. A robbery can be utterly terrifying, and while you can hope that it never happens to you, it's vital to know what to do in the immediate aftermath.

Contact the Police

This is the rather obvious first step, and it needs to happen immediately. If you are concerned that the intruders are still in your home, then find somewhere safe to make the call. This could be a neighbour's home, although if your car is parked in the driveway, you might want to sit inside it and lock the doors. Do not disturb anything in your home until the police have attended the scene. It can be tempting to begin to clean if you have confirmed that intruders have left, but you do not want to disturb anything at this stage.

Document the Damage

When the police have attended the scene and issued you with a report, document the damage. Take a number of photos of the damage in order to show your insurance company. Perform an inventory of your items so that you know precisely what has been taken.

Secure Your Premises

Call your insurance company. If they have an emergency helpline, this is the best option. They might be able to dispatch the necessary support immediately, namely a locksmith to secure your premises. If your insurance company does not provide emergency support (which might be the case if the incident occurs late at night), call a 24-hour locksmith, like Border Locksmiths. Obtain a receipt so that you can have this cost reimbursed by your insurance company.

Clean Up

You can now begin the process of cleaning up. If the intruders have caused any damage that requires professional cleaning (such as vandalism that has stained your walls or flooring), you might wish to call your insurance company again to see if they can arrange this on your behalf. You can make these arrangements yourself if needed, but once again, obtain a receipt in case you need to claim these costs back.

Your Security

Once the immediate damage has been contained, you will probably want to look at your home's security arrangements to do your best to prevent this from happening again. This might be the installation of security screens on your doors and windows, or perhaps obtaining an alarm system. You might find that these steps will have positive psychological benefits too, if any members of your family are feeling unsafe in their own home.

A home robbery can be utterly dreadful, and in an ideal world, you would never have to deal with the possibility. If the worst was to happen, it's important to know the best process for returning life to normal.

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12 July 2017

Finding the Best Contractors for the Job

Welcome to my blog, my name is Blake and from now on, I will be writing a series of blogs which will deal with the process of finding and working with contractors when constructing a new building. I am not a construction specialist but last summer I gained a lot of experience in this area when I hired a team of 32 contractors to build a holiday home. When hiring contractors, it is important that you understand how to communicate with them and their ways of working. Below are a series of blogs which will help you to find the best contractors.