When people are considering the purchase and use of a safe for their home, it is to provide some piece of mind. In-home safes come in a wide variety and are not exclusively for the wealthy. Everyone has items of financial value and of sentimental value, as well as other items that need to be kept secure.
Safes can provide security from theft, fire, and water. When considering an in-home safe, take the time to identify what you wish to keep in the safe so that you purchase an appropriate size safe; and decide on the needs of the safe ranging from solely theft security to extensive protection from fire and water. The Sentry Safe Company has an online tool to help you determine the best safe to meet your needs. Safes are made as independent stand alone units in a wide variety of sizes, while others are made to be built into walls or floors in discrete ways as seen in spy movies.
Smaller portable safes are great for securing wallets, keys, cash, cell phones, passports, and jewelry. These come in models to provide simple security or models that provide fire safety. One key thing to keep in mind with a small portable safe is that in the event of an in-home theft the safe is just as portable for the thief. A safe of this size should be kept in a well hidden area of your house.
Medium size safes are great for storing documents. Some models are designed specifically for securing your important papers. Many can withstand fire and are perfect for keeping your wills, life insurance policies, cash, savings bonds, social security cards, birth/marriage certificates, and more. It is also a good idea to create a simple document that includes all financial information such as bank account numbers, investment information, and additional financial information that could be helpful for your family in the unfortunate event of a sudden death. Again, due to the safe size, keeping it in a well hidden area is of paramount importance.
Larger safes are great for storing valuables such as cash and jewelry,
as well as legal and financial documents. And as space permits you may be able to stash away some smaller items of sentimental value such as the autographed baseball card of your favorite player or the playbill for the Broadway Show you went to see with your spouse on your first date. If you are considering a larger safe, getting one that is fire safe is a good idea. Larger safe’s can weigh over 100 pounds, making it a lot harder to be carried out of your house. However, even larger safes should be safeguarded against theft by being kept out of sight and if possible bolted to the floor.
Gun safes are great for keeping your weapons safe from fire, theft, and for the safety of your family. Weapons can be of significant value for financial and sentimental reasons so storing them in safes is a good idea. Best practices for gun owners is to keep weapons locked and secured.
If you have a safe and keep other items secure, please let us know what else could and should be kept in a safe.
