What to do if your house has been burgled?

A topical issue in Spain is that burglaries are increasing every day.

One of the worst experiences a person can have is when their home is burgled.

At that moment, doubts arise as to what to do and how to act in the event of a burglary. The truth is that there are several important things that you cannot overlook and in this article we are going to tell you about them.

Advice if your home is burgled 

It is clear that something like this will make you feel overwhelmed and you may not have a clear idea of what to do next.

Here are a series of steps to follow when you are going through a situation of this type.

Contact the police

I'm sure most of you, when you enter your home and realise you've been burgled, rush from one room to the next to see what's missing. 

Instead, when you realise your home has been burgled you should pick up the phone and contact the police.

It is advisable to have an officer check the house to verify that it is safe and a further recommendation is to wait for them to arrive outside the property. 

Take some photographs of the house

When the police are in the house, go through everything with them, without touching anything, and take photographs of the scene.

The purpose of this is that it may be useful to you when you file a report or when you need evidence of what happened.

And if you are insured, you will also be asked for something to confirm what you say about the burglary, so it is highly recommended.

Check what is missing

In the company of the officers, check what has been stolen and whether it's valuables.

Something that could help you a lot is to make an inventory of the things you had in the house before and after the event. 

File a report

Reporting a burglary is a key element in this whole mess, even if nothing of high value has been taken, it is essential that you report it to prevent it from happening again.

If you don't report it, you run the risk of the thieves coming back if they couldn't take everything they wanted, or of burglarising adjoining houses.

Contact insurance

If you are insured, you should call your insurance company and report that your home has been burgled.

It is essential that you have the invoices for the stolen items and all the documents that validate what you are reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my home is burgled and I don't have the bills for the items?

This can be a problem with the insurance company and you need to see what your options are for them to help you. Also, check to see if you have any bills in your email inbox. This is quite common these days when shopping online. Photos you took of the theft can help you too.As far as the report is concerned, it is not essential that you have invoices as long as the police can prove that there has been a burglary.

What do I do if my home is burgled and I am inside?

If you realise that your home is being burgled and you are inside, do not try to avoid the burglary if this means putting your safety at risk. Ideally, you should protect yourself and, if possible, make a little noise so that the burglars are alerted and end up leaving. Then, keep yourself locked in the room and quickly call the authorities so that they can come to your house as soon as possible. 

If my house is burgled, can I defend myself?

Of course you can! If you are able to defend your home and prevent a burglary without putting yourself at risk, it is completely valid. 

If you have been involved in a burglary and want to defend your rights, contact us.