According to official statistics, over a million burglaries occur in the U.S. annually. So, the risk of becoming a victim of theft is actually quite high. Today, there are so many different ways to enhance your home security – from smart locks and alarms to surveillance cameras. However, there’s still a possibility that the burglar will be able to bypass all these security measures and break into your home. That’s why it’s essential to protect the valuables that are inside your home. Some people don’t bother to put much effort into choosing the best hiding place for their possessions. Criminals are, unfortunately, well aware of the most common spots where people tend to keep their valuables. So, if you don’t want to take the chance of losing your precious items, we recommend you avoid choosing those places.
What are the top worst places to hide your valuables? Sure Lock & Key is ready to answer this question. Keep reading to find out.
Where should I not hide valuables
Hiding your valuables in the most obvious and predictable places is not the best idea. Let’s be honest, most thieves know about these spots and will check them first. Here are some of the worst hiding places you should avoid if you don’t want to say goodbye to your valuables
- Drawers and closets: Many people consider drawers a great place to hide their valuable items. They like to put their money, documents, or jewelry between their clothes or similar things. For some reason, they think burglars won’t rummage through their belongings. This idea is a bit absurd as thieves don’t care about taking everything out of drawers and turning your house upside down. The only good reason to hide your valuables in a drawer is when it has a cabinet drawer lock.
- Under the bed or mattress: Another common misconception is that burglars won’t bother to go through your bedroom. However, that’s actually one of the first places they go, checking drawers and looking under your bed and mattress. Usually, all the items that are hidden under a bed are kept in a box, which makes it more convenient for thieves to steal them.
- Fridge: You might think that storing jewelry or money in the fridge is something you only see in a movie. However, many people put their valuables in plastic bags or foil and hide them in their fridges or freezers. It might seem like a good idea because who would look through someone’s food? As we already mentioned, thieves are well aware of these obvious places. Moreover, the fridge is something that is easily accessible, so it’ll only take a few minutes to find what you hid inside.
- Vases and pots: Some people love putting their jewelry in empty vases and pots because they’re a part of the decor, and they blend in easily with your home interior. The truth is that they actually draw a lot of attention, and it doesn’t take much time for a thief to check a few empty vases.
- Toilet tank: It seems like the least obvious place to hide valuables. Who would bother to check your toilet tank? True, years ago, this spot was an ideal hiding place that no one would even think about. However, as more and more people found out about it and started using this hack, it became impractical. Now you may be wondering where to store valuables if you can’t use these places. Keep reading to find out!
How to keep valuables safe at home
Unfortunately, crime rates increase year by year, so improving home security is a must if you don’t want to deal with the consequences of a burglary. What can you do to protect your valuable items at home? It may seem obvious, but always make sure you lock your doors and windows, as many thieves look for easy points of entry and don’t want to deal with lock picking. A good idea is to seriously consider installing a security system with cameras and alarms. For that purpose, you probably need to get in touch with a company that specializes in security services.
In most scenarios, technicians will provide you with a security system you’ll be able to monitor your property at all times, as most systems can be connected to your smartphone. Also, you’ll receive notifications if someone enters your house. If you decide to hire a professional security company to monitor your home, they’ll come immediately if an emergency happens.
Another way you can keep your valuables safe if someone eventually breaks in is to locate the best hiding spots. We have already discussed the places you should avoid choosing. Now it’s time to talk about the ones you can use.
The safest places to hide valuables
Before deciding where to hide your valuables, try to imagine yourself in the burglar’s position. Where would you look first if you want to find something valuable quickly without being seen? Probably you’d go through all the places that can be easily accessed, like a bedroom, kitchen, closet, etc. That’s why it’s better to hide your valuables in the most unpredictable places or places that take a lot of time to access. Let’s look at some of the most secure hiding spots.
- Hollowed-out items: That is probably something all of us have seen in a film and many people don’t consider this seriously. However, this option is actually quite effective. For example, you can hollow out a book and store your money there. Thieves won’t spend hours looking through all the books you have. You can use this method with different items – candles, make-up bottles, some decorative things, etc.
- Boxes with food: These spots are also a great idea, as looking through all your pasta, milk, or cereal boxes is quite time-consuming. Most burglars want to get out of your house in less than 10 minutes, so they probably won’t want to bother rummaging through all your food.
- Fake bottom of a trash can: Let’s be honest, no one would want to look through your trash, so that spot is a pretty secure option.
- Air vent or pipes: These places are great for hiding your valuables as they are hard to access, as it will take some time for burglars to open them.
- Safes: Many people don’t understand why they should invest in a safe. However, a properly installed safe is one of the best ways to protect your assets. It becomes even more secure if you decide to install your safe under the floor or mount it inside the wall. As we know, burglars don’t want to spend too much time at your house because it increases the risk of being caught. Most criminals won’t even attempt to break the lock on your safe.
Summing up
Most burglaries occur due to a lack of proper security measures. So, if you don’t want to become a part of the burglary statistics, you should consider enhancing your home security. Besides installing quality locks and modern security systems, there are a few simple things you can do yourself. If you want to protect your valuables, it’s good to choose the most unpredictable and hard-to-reach hiding spots. Most burglars won’t spend hours looking through all the places in your house or apartment; they look for what is easily accessible. We hope you will follow our helpful guide on the best and worst places to hide your possessions and that it will be useful in helping to keep your valuables safe.
