My heart aches for the one in eight people so traumatised by a burglary that they move house, for they risk further emotional and financial pain.
New research from Churchill Insurance paints a terrible picture of the aftermath of burglaries. People feel violated and vulnerable in a place they should feel most safe. Many can’t sleep. Some lose confidence in themselves, and can’t bear to be alone in the property. Some take medicine.
A stranger has gone through their possessions, and they could have come face to face with them. Saying goodbye to sentimental items hurts more than the loss of expensive but replaceable stuff. Homes feel tainted or spoiled, especially if they were trashed.
But homeowners who move soon after a burglary are embarking on one of life’s most stressful events – buying and selling a home – maybe while still shell-shocked. Even worse, the burglary may have made their home worth less and harder to sell.
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