Protecting Your Home from Theft

I was recently talking to a friend who was telling me a story about a family member that was receiving in-home care. Unfortunately, the staff was stealing items from the home during their visits. Theft seems to be a very common issue mostly because there is no supervision on the staff that is visiting the house. Typically the person receiving care is not very mobile and thus cannot see what is going on in the house.

This same issue can happen if you have a housekeeper, babysitters or unfortunately friends coming and going to your house.

Depending on how you handle these situations, you might find yourself struggling to claim the loss with your insurance carrier. Here are some tips to help ensure you can utilize your coverage best in case of home theft.

1. Take pictures, lots of pictures – Take pictures of each room from different angles to show what they have. If there is something of higher value, take a specific picture of that item. Store the pictures in a safe place that you can find them when needed. One customer suggested emailing the pictures to yourself as that will put the emails on a remote server for storage just in case part of the loss is the computer itself or a fire. Email can typically be accessed from any computer.
2. Monitor with cameras – If you are planning for in-home care for a sick family member, consider putting up cameras in strategic places. Not only will this deter anyone from mistreating your family, it will also deter theft or record it if it still happens.
3. Keep receipts of the higher value items – This will help remove any question about the value/cost of the item.
4. Appraisals – if you have an appraisal of an item, keep it in a safe place. A fireproof safe is a great way to secure these items.
5. Cover your valuables – Ensure your insurance policy covers your valuables. Most insurance policies have limits on covered value of jewelry, furs, guns, and other valuables. Talk to your agent to ensure you have enough coverage for valuables that exceed these limits.
6. In the event of a theft – If you do have a theft, file a police report. There may be a very small chance of finding the thief but having the report will help prove the loss to the insurance carrier.

Agents at Lifelong Insurance are experienced in these coverages and would be glad to review your coverage with you to determine any gaps you may have. Give us a call today at 469-606-4590.