If you keep your valuables and important papers at home, it's important to keep them in a safe place. In the past, people kept their valuables in safe deposit boxes at their local bank. While bank boxes still offer the same level of protection, many people are choosing to buy a home safe box for their important papers and other valuables.
Do you need a safe box at home? Here's what you should know.
Do I Need a Safe at Home?
Home safe boxes can offer protection from fires and natural disasters. With the right size safe for your belongings, you can also protect valuables from thieves. No one knows when a disaster or theft will happen, so having a safe can help protect everything from guns and mortgage papers to cash and family heirlooms.
Many people choose home safes over safety deposit boxes at a local bank because of the price. Banks charge an annual fee to rent the box, while home safes have a single, upfront cost. When you rent a bank box, you'll need your key, and a bank employee will also have to use a key to open it. You'll also have to abide by the bank's rules and hours of operation. Home safes, on the other hand, have personal keys or combinations, and you can keep whatever you want in them.
What To Look for in a Safe
When shopping for a safe, look for one that has a UL and ETL rating because it will be fire- and water-resistant. Choose a safe that's large enough for all of the items you want to put in it. You'll also have to choose the type of lock you want, either biometric, combination or keyed. Look for a safe you can conceal or install securely.
What To Put in a Safe
Safes are perfect tools for important, original paperwork like mortgage papers, car titles and birth certificates. You can also keep family heirlooms, jewelry and other valuable items in a safe. Some people keep medications, like prescription painkillers, in their safes to prevent children and thieves from getting their hands on them.
Some people purchase gun safes to store their guns and keep children from playing with them. If you have a small handgun, you should always keep it in your home safe. You can also store other weapons like sharp knives, martial arts throwing stars or hunting gear.
Safes can also be good places to store cash, which can come in handy in emergencies. Because safes are built to withstand fires and other natural disasters, many families keep records of their personal belongings in them. Bank safe deposit boxes can protect precious items from natural disasters, especially since they are inside secure and durable walk-in bank vaults.
For insurance purposes, record a video of the inside of your home and garage, then store it on a thumb drive. If you keep the thumb drive in the safe, you have a permanent record of your belongings if they are damaged in a disaster. You can keep photos and videos on the cloud, but having a thumb drive gives you access if the internet stops working after a disaster strikes.
Where To Put Your Safe
Before you decide where to put a safe, consider the size of the safe, what you're storing in it, and the risks in your neighborhood. If you have weather risks or frequent robberies, you might want to consider having it installed permanently. If you choose a heavy safe, the risk of having it stolen decreases.
The best place for a safe is out of your home's high-traffic areas. If you have one installed in your home, it should be at a point where two exterior walls meet, which is structurally stronger than other parts of the room.
If you live in a flood-prone area, it's wise to install your safe above ground level. This will prevent it from getting swept away by water. It is also a good idea to attach it to a cement base for additional protection against raging waters.
Consider putting your safe somewhere that burglars will not consider. Thieves usually go right to the master bedroom and closet. They also look in garages. Affix the safe to your floors to prevent thieves from stealing the safe.
How To Make Your Home Even Safer
If you are installing a home safe, you should consider adding sensors from Notion. Because Notion Sensors are small, you can easily add one to your safe door. If the safe door opens, the sensor will send you an immediate notification. If you want another layer of security, upgrading to Notion PRO gives you additional notifications: push notifications, group texts, and phone calls.
Protecting your valuables is critical, and adding a safe with Notion Sensors and upgrading to Notion PRO can assist you with this important goal. These simple, affordable steps can help you protect your most important items whether you're home or away.
