First, as impossible as it may seem, try to stay calm and make sure you are in a safe place. Once the shock settles and you are safe, take these steps:

Step 1: Don’t touch anything

This will be a challenge because naturally you’ll want to dig through your stuff to see what’s missing. But until your house is checked by the police, you’ll be best placed to put your hands in some pockets (so as not to move things around) until you leave the house.

Step 2: Get out of the house

Walking into your home to realize you’ve been broken into is devastating. But your safety, as well as that of your family, is better served by leaving the house immediately. Find a safe place to wait and call 101 to report. If you think the intruders are still in your home, call 999. Note any unusual or suspicious activity while you wait for the police to arrive.

Step 3: Take inventory

Once you have permission from the police, start taking stock by making a list of what was stolen with an estimate of how much each item costs. This will not only help the police but also your insurer. Take photos of any damage (interior and exterior) caused by the break-in.

Determining the cost of the damage can also be difficult. More than a third (37%) of those surveyed don’t think they can give an accurate estimate of how much items in their home cost, and just over one in five (22%) don’t keep track of any purchases.

Step 4: Contact your insurer

Check your policy details as some insurers require you to get in touch within 24 hours of the break-in. They can ask

• the name and address of any person who may have witnessed the burglary
• any suspicious activity before or after the home robbery
• the police report detailing the incident.

Step 5: Clean

Once your home is fully inspected and reports taken by the police, you can take the time to clean up any mess or damage caused by the break-in. Because this can be overwhelming, reach out to family and friends who can help you through this process.

If broken into in the future, almost nine in ten (86%) of those surveyed would report it to the police and four in five (80%) would take photos as evidence. Just over three quarters (76%) would report the theft to their insurance company and nearly as many (74%) would improve their home security measures.

No one plans to break into their home, but taking precautions and finding the right coverage can help ease your anxieties.