A burglary isn't only a financial loss: it damages your sense of security at home, and for many people that's the harder part. Which is exactly why it helps that you don't have to work out the order of things yourself — it's already mapped out. The process: the police first, then the insurer's claims line, with the stolen-items list building up gradually alongside it — step by step, at a steady pace.
- Police first: file a report, and leave the scene undisturbed, if possible, until officers have examined it.
- Then the insurer's claims line or online portal: the police report and the case number become part of the claim.
- The stolen-items list can be added to later by referencing the claim number — a receipt, warranty card, photo, box: all of it helps.
The police first — and your own safety
If you get home and see signs of a break-in, and can't rule out someone still being inside, don't go in — call 112 from somewhere safe. If the flat is empty, the police still come first: file a report, and leave the scene undisturbed, if possible, until the police have carried out their on-site examination — don't tidy up or clean, however strong the urge to get rid of the mess. The fact of the report and its case number become the foundation document for the insurance claim: for burglary, opening a police investigation is typically expected on the insurer's side too — the two reports aren't alternatives, one builds on the other.
Then the insurer: reporting on the claims line
Here too, the claim goes through the insurer's claims line or online claim-reporting portal, following the usual process — supplemented with the police paperwork: a copy of the report, and later a document on the state of the investigation, typically become part of the claim. Temporarily repairing a forced door and replacing the locks can be justified as damage mitigation — photograph the damage first, and keep the receipts. The question of locks and security levels can also come up at settlement: the security requirements in the terms typically scale with the sum insured. And one practical matter that isn't part of the claim but can't wait: block your missing bank card with your bank straight away, and start replacing your documents at the government office.
The stolen-items list: accurate, credible, expandable
Write down what's gone: description, features, age, estimated value — plus anything that helps identify it: a receipt, warranty card, box, a photo showing the item. It's fine if the list isn't complete the first time round: you may notice more missing items days later — just add to it by referencing the claim number. The room-by-room home inventory was made for exactly this kind of situation; if you haven't got one, it's worth putting together once the claim is closed. The burglary and robbery article gives the full picture on valuables limits and how burglary cover works.
The harder part: feeling at home again
The tension after a burglary, poor sleep, wariness — these are natural reactions, they take time, and none of it is weakness. For many people it helps to take charge of their sense of security alongside the claim itself: a considered locking-up routine, better lighting, an alarm if needed — the home security self-check is there for exactly that review. And with the claim, go at your own pace: the vast majority of routine claims close smoothly, and if you have a question or hit a snag, the route for disputed claims is also open — the related articles cover that.
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