Household safes are an important addition to any home. Keeping precious items locked away not only prevents them from being stolen but could mean they are preserved in the event of a natural disaster. Still, a home safe is not the ideal storage place for all of the documents and jewelry in your life. How do you know if something should be stored in your home safe or a safe deposit box? Here are some ways to determine where to store the things that matter:
What to Keep in Your Fireproof Safe
Home and office safes make sense for storing documents and valuables you need to access on a regular basis. Banks aren’t open around the clock, so storing something in a safe deposit box could mean having to wait until the morning to gain access to a vital document or another item. A good rule of thumb for items that belong in home safe storage is anything that has more value to you than to a thief and might become necessary after 5 pm. Here are some things to keep on hand in your home safe:
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Passport- If you travel for business and find out last minute about an overseas trip, you’ll be in trouble if your passport isn’t on hand. You could even run into problems if you misplace your deposit box key right before a flight.
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Insurance policies- Insurance papers won’t mean anything to a thief, but if you’re in a car accident and want to review your policy, you’ll want these documents available at a minute’s notice.
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Photographs- Copies of family photos can be scanned and stored digitally for added protection, but popping the original copy in a safe gives you additional peace of mind.
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Thumb drives- Thumb drives and external storage devices can keep everything from professional documents to family videos safe and sound. Put them in an airtight back for extra protection.
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Original copy of your will- In some states, retrieving items from a safe deposit box at the bank could be a process. Save a copy at the bank and the original where a family member can access it without a hassle.
Items Better Stored at the Bank
In the debate over safe deposit box vs. home safe, the bank box wins out anytime you have a valuable that could be attractive to a thief and doesn’t require your regular use. Here are a few examples:
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Cash- Large amounts of cash should always be trusted to a bank box, for obvious reasons.
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The Original deed to your home- Keeping a copy of home deeds and car titles at home is sufficient; the originals are safer away from home.
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Family heirlooms- If you have a necklace or ring that you rarely wear or are planning to pass down to a future generation, it is safer in a bank box where it will be temperature controlled and far from thieves.
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Inventories of your home- If you have taken photos of your home or an official inventory of valuables for emergency situations, keep it away from the house in a safe deposit box.
Home safes can keep a variety of documents and valuables safe from home invasion, fire, and flood. But fireproof home safes do have a few limitations. They may not keep temperature control items as well as a bank box, and they can only sustain a disaster for a finite amount of time. Once you check out our security safes for sale, consider moving your cash and other more sensitive valuables to a bank you trust. If you still have questions about home safes, contact The Home Security Superstore today.