It may seem like something that will never happen to you, but having a burglar enter your home is not as uncommon as one may think. It’s terrible to come home and see that someone unwanted has been there. It’s okay to be scared, but not for long. The next thing you need to do is figure out a plan to prevent this from happening again. It is also a good idea to assess the situation and figure out what your next step is.

In this article, we are going to go over some of the more basic steps you can take when you come face to face with this emergency situation. These steps can be carried out quickly as long as you stay calm and keep a level head.

1. Immediately Contact The Authorities

It may be tempting to move things around while you are trying to wrap your head around what has happened, but you need to hold this urge and immediately contact the authorities. Ideally, when you come home and see that there has been a break-in, the thief is gone. However, sometimes the criminal could still be there and in order to make sure that you remain safe, it is important that you step outside, find a safe place and contact the authorities. Staying calm and giving them any information you can about your security protocols or what you saw when you entered is a good idea.

2. Find a Safe Place To Hide

This is not something that applies to you if the burglars are no longer in your home. If, however, you come home and find that the burglars are still there or if you are already home and you heard them come in, it is important that you find a safe and secure place to hide. If it is possible, you should call the police. However, your life and safety are most important and if you are not able to contact the police while staying inconspicuous, you will have to contact them as soon as it is safe. While it is true that most break-ins happen in the daytime while no one is home, nighttime break ins are still very possible and it is important that you know what to do in case that happens.

3. Review Your Security Protocols

When we say this, we are not telling you to go and check if your security system have a system update waiting. What we are saying is check your doors, windows, cameras –if you have them- to see what information you can gather about the break in. This information is important as it is great to give to the authorities and it is a great way for you to see where your security is weak and where you need to up the ante.

You want to get to this step. In order to do that, you need to be successful in the first two that we spoke about. Keep your wits about you and keep a level head.

4. Take Stock Of What You Have

This step is important as it gives you an idea of what was taken and what you still have. This information is valuable for reason we will speak on in a second. I know that it is probably challenging for you to do this step when you realize what has happened. You are probably in shock and scared about what has happened and what to do next. Well, this is what you need to do. This can help you to understand why you were the one to be targeted and this information of what was stolen can be given to the police.

5. Call Your Insurance Agent

After the burglary takes place, you are going to want to know what is missing and what is broken. Once you have done this, you are going to want to call your insurance agent to let them know about what has taken place. You should have an insurance agent already as you are usually required to have some homeowners insurance before you are able to be approved for a mortgage. If you live in an apartment building however or if you are a renter, this might not be the case. It is important to make sure that you stay calm and give all of the details that you can. The police report that you receive because of the burglary can be a good source of verification for the insurance company as well as a good reminder of any details you may have missed.

6. Clean Up Around Your Home

It is a good idea to wait until after the police have left to begin this step, but nonetheless, it is an important step. You might not understand why this is such an important step, but you will in a moment. When your house is robbed, most times the entryway that the thief took is damaged. This is something you are going to want to keep track of as it is something that you are going to have to deal with. Cleaning up around your home will allow you to assess what has happened and what you need to fix.

7. Reassess Your Security Measures

After your home has been broken into, you are most likely scared and unsure. Instead of sitting around wondering how this could have possibly happened to you, it is time to get up and gain an understanding of what went wrong, how it went wrong, and how you can fix it as soon as possible.. You are only hurting yourself if you sit around worrying and not taking any action. Figure out what parts of your security system are weak and find a way to fix them and make them stronger. It is also important that if any locks or windows are broken, you call someone immediately to come and fix them as your home is now an open and easy target.

8. Repair Damaged Security Precautions And Implement New Ones

Like I mentioned above, it is extremely important that you fix any damage that your home has faced as soon as possible in order to assure your safety. It is also a good idea to implement some stronger security measures such as stronger locks and doors. If you have had a break in and it appears as if the thief did absolutely no damage to any of your security measures, that means that those measures are extremely weak and it is time to upgrade to a better one. Being in a situation like this is scary and you might really want to spend some time just grasping that it actually happened to you, but it really is time to get up, dust yourself off, and prepare yourself better for next time.

Final Thoughts

I’m truly sorry if you have dealt with a burglary and you are reading this article because you need some guidance on what to do next. All I can tell you is to follow these tips and keep your head up. Improve your security and be better prepared for next time!

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