Having to deal with a break-in can be frustrating, frightening and downright depressing. You might have been at work, school or away on vacation and came home to realize that someone broke into your house. Unfortunately, burglary happens and even in the safest of areas, your property may still be vulnerable. For this reason, it’s important to understand if your home owner’s insurance covers burglaries and if so, what amount it’ll pay out if this unfortunate event happens to you.

Understanding Your Policy

First, you need to be fully aware of your insurance policy. While it can be easy to eliminate coverage in an attempt to save money on monthly premiums, you may be leaving yourself vulnerable to high costs if your house is ever broken into. Understand your coverage and speak with your broker to determine if you’re currently protected in the event of theft. You can even get insurance quotes for your house when taking out a new policy, and these quotes will often outline what’s included within the policy itself.

Dwelling Coverage

Dwelling coverage specifically helps to pay for damage to the property in the event of a burglary. Let’s say that the thief breaks windows and damages door frames when trying to get into the residence. This coverage can help to get these repairs done so that your home is back to normal once the event is over. This prevents you from having to shell out a lot of money just to make the repairs on your own.

Personal Property Protection

This protection helps to replace items that might have been stolen after the criminal has left the property. The thief might have stolen jewelry, electronics and money before fleeing the area. This can leave your family high and dry if you don’t have coverage available to replace these items. You may need to have receipts available or proof that you owned the items, so it’s a good idea for you to work with your provider to have this information available.

Your Insurance Deductible

The vast majority of insurance policies have some type of deductible attached to the plan that you’ve taken out. The deductible is what you’re responsible for paying before the coverage actually kicks in. For instance, if you have one that is $2,000 per year, you have to have enough damage to surpass that $2,000 before you’re covered by your insurance company and policy. If the damages that your house has sustained are less, you’re going to be left paying for the repairs on your own. It’s always good to have an emergency fund set up to factor in deductible amount so you’ll have the accessible cash when you’re in need.

Filing a Claim

If you are the victim of a burglary, the first step is to contact your local police department. They will come out to your residence and assess the damage and file a report. This report is going to be necessary when filing a claim with your insurance provider. Take photos of any and all damage around the property and provide this to your insurance agent. In some cases, you’ll need to make immediate repairs to the home, like installing new windows to replace broken ones, before the claim is complete. In this case, the coverage provider will compensate you once the claim has been approved and submitted.