One of the easiest ways to keep potential thieves from finding your valuables is to install an alarm monitoring system. Sixty percent of burglars said that they would target another home if they know there’s a security system.
However, if you’re looking for more protection, especially for specific items like jewelry, heirlooms, or important documents, there are other options available to you, depending on your level of security needs.
Hiding Places
The most basic and cheapest of protecting your belongings is to hide them throughout your house. If you choose to do this, make sure you don’t hide them in obvious places, like the sock drawer or in the freezer. Here are some creative ways of hiding your items in plain sight.
However, simply hiding your items poses a security risk. Burglars, if they find the hiding items, can easily take whatever they find. Also, people who have access to your home, like children or maids, can stumble upon these items by accident and take the items, and it may be a while before you realize the items are missing.
Cameras
While cameras don’t necessarily prevent someone from stealing items, they can provide evidence of a theft, and you can usually know exactly who stole what. Hidden cameras can be an option if you suspect someone with access to your house of stealing items that aren’t heavily protected, like medications or cash. This can include children, maids, nannies, or even guests you’ve invited over.
In addition to just cameras, video monitoring can alert you if someone has broken into your house and can alert the police to catch the burglar in the act. There may also be situations when fire damage or water damage from a flood or busted pipe can damage your possessions. Having a camera monitoring system can notify you if something isn’t right in your home so that you can fix the situation before your home gets damaged.
At-Home Safe
For items that you may need to access regularly, at-home safes are a great option. There are several options for the type of safe you can buy: fire-resistant, burglar-resistant, or both.
Fire resistant safes have varying grades of fire resistance, which will affect the price. Burglar-resistant safes are designed to make it difficult to find and remove your belongings. They usually require both a key and a combination code. They can be extremely heavy, and for extra security, can be bolted to the floor or wall. This will prevent burglars from taking the safe and breaking into it elsewhere.
Safe Deposit Box
If the items you’re trying to protect aren’t used on a regular basis (like a will or family heirlooms) won’t be needed at a moment’s notice, or are extremely valuable, consider protecting them in a safe deposit box.
A safe deposit box is a rented box that’s usually kept in a bank for maximum security. Safe deposit boxes can be one of the safest options. There are many security features, like heat, motion, and vibration detectors and are sealed within a vault with doors weighing 3 tons. Also, you’ll have to provide identification to access it, and two keys are needed to unlock your box: yours and the bank’s. All of this will cost between $20-$120 a year, depending on the box’s size, which isn’t a large fee to pay to protect your most precious valuables.
If you choose this option, keep a list of items in box or a picture of the contents and know who has access to it. Don’t forget to insure whatever is in the box. As few as 0.1% of safe deposit boxes were affected by fires, floods, or breakins in 2015. However, the bank doesn’t insure the items, so make sure you do.
Depending on what you’re trying to protect, its value, and how often you need it, you should select the best security option for your situation.
