6 steps to take if your home has been broken into

Discovering that your home has been broken into is a frustrating and horrifying experience.

Many questions may be running through your mind, including: ‘what did they steal?’ ‘why did they break into my house?’ and ‘how can I make my home safe again?’

If you ever find yourself in this heart-wrenching situation, here are the six steps you need to take.

1. Call the police

The first thing you need to do is call the police on their non-emergency number, 101. The call handler will give you a crime reference number for insurance purposes and contact details for the police officer that will be dealing with your case.

The police officer will arrive at your property to take a statement as well as look for fingerprints, footprints, and DNA evidence. This typically happens between four to six hours after calling 101 but can depend on availability. It may be that you have to wait a little longer.

(Important note: if you believe a burglary is in progress at your home, call 999 immediately. Under no circumstances attempt to confront the burglar)

2. Cancel any stolen cards and technology

If you think any bank cards have been stolen from your home, call your bank. Your bank will be able to put a stop on your cards and organise for replacements to be sent.

Some mobile banking apps let you freeze your cards directly from the app, so check to see if you can do this. Even if you can, we still recommend calling your bank, so they know to keep an eye out for any suspicious transactions.

If a mobile phone has been stolen, call your provider, who can block your account and prevent anyone else from using your phone. Your provider will also be able to tell you your phone’s identification number (IMEI), which you can pass to the police. If they come across any stolen phones, they can then check the IMEI number to see if it's yours.

If your passport has been stolen, you can cancel it online.

3. Review what has been taken from your home

Your home insurance provider and the police will need to know what has been taken. Take a walk around your home and make a note of what is no longer there. Take photos of the damage and where missing items used to be.

If you have any evidence of owning stolen items, like receipts or bank statements, start organising them together. Your insurer may ask to see proof.

This stage of the process is likely to be incredibly stressful, especially if the break in has only recently happened. If you don’t feel like you can do this, ask a friend or family member for support.

Most importantly: Don’t touch anything. While it’s only natural to want to tidy up and put your home back to the way it was, the police will need to check for evidence first.

4. Check video footage evidence

If you have a CCTV camera or smart security system like a video doorbell, check the footage to see if you spot anything. You might be able to get evidence of who carried out the burglary, which will help the police identify a suspect. 

If you don’t have a security system at home, ask your neighbours. They can review their footage to see if they spot anything that might help your case.

5. Call your insurer

When you have a list of what’s been taken, call your home insurance company. Your insurer will ask for your crime reference number, details of what was stolen, and evidence of the damage caused.

The more information you can give them, the better the chance of your claim being successful.

Check your policy to see the level of cover you have and what you can claim. Some insurers offer ‘new’ for ‘old’ cover while others take wear and tear into account.

6. Secure your home

After the police have arrived to take a statement and look at the damage caused to your property, you can start to put things right again.

An emergency locksmith like DB Locksmiths can assess your property and help you get back to normal, at any time of the day or night.

A locksmith will check your windows and doors for signs of damage, board your windows up if they have been broken and change the locks on your door. This is especially important if you think a burglar has taken a set of your house keys.

The locksmith you choose can also recommend how you can make your home more secure moving forward.

Securing your home will not only give you peace of mind but prevent the chances of a repeat break in. Burglars often target the same property twice as they are confident they won’t get caught again.

Remember – you’re not alone

A break in is an awful experience, and it’s perfectly normal to feel scared, nervous, or angry afterwards. We all react to traumatic experiences in different ways.

Our homes are special to us, and it can be jarring to find that someone has invaded our personal and private space. Even if you feel okay and are coping well, your partners or children may not feel the same way.

Don’t be afraid to rely on friends, family, and neighbours at this time. Charities like Victim Support can help if you need to talk to someone about your experience.