Most of us keep our money in a bank or building society. Some of us keep a little cash aside for easy access in emergencies and paying people who only accept cash. You may be considering a home safe to protect your valuables.
Owning a home safe is a sound investment. If you choose the right safe, any burglars who enter your home should not be able to access your family heirlooms or savings.
What is the best safe? Well, it depends on what specifications you are looking for. After all, home safes come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Continue reading to see our list of properties and features you may like to look for when buying a home safe.
What is a home safe?
A home safe is a hollow box that is used to store valuables or dangerous items. It consists of a lockable lid usually made from metal. A home safe is usually a lot smaller than other kinds of safes.
Why do you need a home safe?
There are many reasons why you would benefit from owning a home safe.
Here are just a few.
Store important documents
Safes are a great place to store important documents like passports, social security cards, insurance policies, and power of attorney documents. It is easy to put an item away safely and forget where you have placed it. If you get into the habit of putting important documents in a safe, you will be able to find them without a problem.
Store valuables
If you want your valuables and heirlooms to be as safe as possible, put them in a home safe. You should keep anything worth a lot of money in the safe, as well as small items that have a high amount of sentimental value.
Store Cash
Banks aren’t open 24/7, and you may need more money than an ATM allows you to take out in one go. Perhaps you live a long distance from a bank or ATM. Storing some money in a home safe allows you access to your money at any time.
Contents insurance policy
Most contents insurers have a custody clause in their policies that claims items over a certain value must be kept in the owner’s possession, worn by them, or kept in a safe.
Things to consider when buying a home safe
There are many home safes on the market. How do you choose the right one? You can start by reading our list of things to keep in mind. This will save you time and energy when it comes to making your decision.
Here are some of the things you need to consider before making a decision.
Capacity
Work out how much space you need for all your current valuables, documents, and money. Add extra space for your future additions. Safe capacity is measured in liters starting from as little as 5 liters and rising to 300 liters. A home safe will often say how many cubic feet it will store, so you can work out if any unusually shaped valuables will fit.
Steel door gauge
An easy rule to follow: if the gauge figure is high, your steel safe door will be thin; if the gauge is low, the steel will be thick. If you want drill-proof steel, opt for a home safe with a low gauge of 14 or below.
Fire and waterproof
If a fire damages your home, you can rest assured that a fireproof safe will protect your valuables. Similarly, if you have a leak, you will want to keep any important documents dry and intact with a waterproof safe.
Weight
If you want to place your safe on a shelf, you should make it is not too heavy. A small home safe usually weighs around 6lbs, while a large one can weigh over 80lbs.
Digital lock or key lock
You may prefer safe with a digital lock for several reasons. A digital lock has no physical key that can be stolen or misplaced. No one will know your code unless you tell them or if it is easy to guess. You can regularly change your digital code without telling anyone, making it more secure than a physical key.
If you don’t have a great memory and you feel you would need to write down your keycode, you may prefer a safe with a key lock.
Override key
Some home safes come with both a digital lock and an override key if you forget the code. This is a useful feature if you are prone to forgetting passwords. Alternatively, you can regularly use the key and only use the code if you can’t find the key.
Soft interior lining and shelve
Some safes come with a soft interior lining, so your valuables don’t get damaged. Many saves also have a useful shelf so you can keep your valuables ordered and tidy.
Home safe price range
Home safes range massively in price. They start from around $25 and go up to $17,000. If you want a decent mid-range safe, you should budget between $60 and $180.
FAQ
Where is the best place to put a safe in my home?
If you own a multistory home, install the safe somewhere on the ground floor. If you want to put your home safe on a different floor, install it where two outside walls meet. This provides the most support and protection for a heavy safe.
Will a home safe stop thieves from stealing my valuables?
Unfortunately, a home safe won’t guarantee the safety of your valuables. If it is heavy and difficult to carry, opportunists may give up and take something easier. Professional thieves will probably still either take it away or manage to break into it eventually unless it is a high-end safe.
That being said, a home safe will deter most burglars. You will also be covered financially in case of theft.