Have you ever been a victim of robbery? Many of us can relate to how a break and enter makes you feel…violated, shocked, sad and angry. Break and enters (B&Es) are an unfortunate reality of modern living that affect homeowners and business owners every day. Losing your most valuable possessions and sentimental items, combined with potential property damage, add to the emotional impact of recovering from theft. Due to a recent influx in claims, we wanted to shed light on some prevention and protection tips.

Did you know that:

• Most burglars attack during the daytime
• 1/3 of burglars use an unlocked door or window
• 1/3 of burglars enter through the basement

When it pays to have Home Insurance

House Residences and businesses are affected each year by B&Es. A total of 428 B&E’s were reported in Sault Ste. Marie in 2015 with 85% of that total being residences. In December of 2015, B&E incidents increased to 56 compared to the previous year of 27.  Eric Osborne, Operations Manager stated: “We have recently had a number of clients suffer from burglary losses in the past couple of months so we thought it was important to educate people on both the importance of insurance and the importance of prevention”.

Insurance will help cover the losses of items in your home, as well as, the structure itself if it is damaged. Having coverage can also allow you to live somewhere else if your house is in need of repairs.  We recommend taking inventory periodically, including taking pictures of expensive purchases and their receipts, to know how much coverage is required to replace your possessions. Here is a great list from Insurance Bureau of Canada to help you document your possessions, along with their value.

Check out our Emergency Prevention Guide for some tips on how to protect yourself from B&Es. If you have questions or are not sure if you have the right coverage, contact one of our brokers and they will gladly help find suitable coverage for your needs.