Keeping Your Valuables Protected: Four Items That Are Safer At Home Than At The Bank

Articles

So you're thinking about buying a home safe for your valuables and documents. This is a smart move, considering that in New South Wales there were 405 homes that experienced a break-in between March, 2014 and March, 2015. While some people think that the best place to stash their valuables is in a bank safety deposit box, that is not always the case. Consider these four items that will be much more useful when you can readily access them rather than having to wait for when the bank opens next.

Passports

Normally, you have advance notice that you are going to need your passport, as not many people have the budget to jump on a plane and head off on a whim. But, particularly when you have family members that live overseas, a situation could occur where an unexpected illness or other situation means that you need your passport now, not on Monday morning when the bank opens again.

Additionally, passports are expensive to replace. While it is likely that the bank vault that holds a safety deposit box is fireproof, which is great for states like Victoria where bushfires are common, there is no guarantee that the bank vault is waterproof. That is not good news for states like Queensland that are prone to experiencing heavy rainfall and flooding during the summer storm season. When you buy a home safe, you can make sure to purchase one that is rated for both fire and water protection. This will keep all paper-based documents and photos safe and dry when nature goes rogue.

Jewellery And Cash

No safety deposit in the world is guaranteed to be completely safe. For example, in April 2015, a safe deposit company based in London was relieved of over £200 million worth of valuables when thieves struck. Not all banks provide insurance for anything stored in a safety deposit box, mostly because they are not normally privy to the details of the contents of each box. While your jewellery and cash may be insured under your contents' insurance policy (read the terms and conditions regarding coverage outside of the home), monetary compensation does not cover the sentimental value of a piece of jewellery that has been handed down through generations.

Gone are the days when stashing your valuables under the mattress was a good idea, because this is the first place a burglar will now look. Instead, place these items in a solid safe that has been bolted to the floor. Thieves want an easy option when it comes to taking your valuables, and a floor-bolted safe is not the easy option.

Spare Vehicle Keys

Do you have a family member that is prone to losing their keys? Modern vehicle keys contain transponder chips that send a unique code to the car when you want to start it. Losing these car keys can cost you several hundred dollars to replace them, and sometimes the only place you can get them is a car dealership. Therefore, it makes sense to put your spare vehicle keys in the safe along with your other valuables. Leaving them in plain sight for a burglar is only encouraging them to steal the car once they've finished rifling through your house.

Personal Papers

If you pass away unexpectedly, a bank will seal your safety deposit box when it is notified of your death. This means your funeral directions, will, and power of attorney are all locked until the bank receives the proper paperwork from your heirs to transfer the safety deposit box contents to them. This is not always a fast process, and your wishes are not being heard while the documents are locked away from your family.

Storing this type of paperwork in your new safe at home means that these documents will still provide the protection and instruction they were designed for in the event of your untimely death.

A home safe gives you immediate access to your important papers, passport, jewellery, and other valuables 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don't become a crime statistic or a slave to the opening hours of your local bank. Instead, speak to a home safe specialist from a company like Askwith Company about having a sturdy home safe installed at your residence.

Share

3 June 2015

Locks, Keys and Safe: Updates on Crime and Hacks

Hi, my name is Max. I have been around the locksmith industry since I was a little kid, and as I got older, I begin investigating crime and hackers. In order to have the safest and most secure locks and safes, you need to know what criminals and hackers are doing. You need to know about the threats so you can identify the best ways to secure your home and office. In this blog, I plan to explore facts, news and cutting edge research about locks, keys and safes. I also plan to look at the dark side of things and discuss how criminals and hackers are currently getting past security. Ultimately, I hope this info helps lead you to the safest locks.