How To Choose A Safe For Your Home

Burglary affects us all. Rich, poor, tenant, home-owner, young, old —  thieves target anyone and everyone.

You can take a number of precautions to protect your property and possessions from burglars, and a home safe is one of the most effective. However, you might have no idea what to look for if you’ve never invested in one before.

To help make buying your home safe easier, our experts have put together some top tips!

Look into the cash rating

The cash rating is one of the main factors to consider with a home safe. Why?

Because this relates to the amount of money your safe can keep secure, according to insurance companies. This can apply to the overall value of valuables / jewelry you store in it too.

For example, if your insurance provider will only cover $1,000 of cash taken from your home during a burglary they may change this to $4,000 to match your safe’s cash rating.

The cash rating is based on the walls’ density, the lock’s quality and the number of locks on the safe.

Pay attention to the fire rating

Fire rating is another major aspect of your safe’s quality. This reflects the length of time which a home safe will protect its contents from flames, usually measured by the hour.

The minimum you should aim for is one hour. This affords firefighters enough time to extinguish the fire.

Still, you may want to aim for two hours if you want added protection.

Make sure you have plenty of space

Don’t just buy the first home safe that offers enough space for the valuables / cash you plan to keep inside it now. Think about other items you might want to store in the future.

While smaller safes are much easier to keep hidden (such as behind a painting or inside a cupboard), bigger ones allow you to keep adding goods as you build your collection of valuables.

Consider paying a little more

As with any product, the best safes will cost a little more. You can’t guarantee that paying top dollar will buy you the toughest, most reliable safe, but opting for the cheapest on the market could leave you without the protection you expect.

Everyone has a budget to work with, but aim for the highest-rated safe you can afford. Make sure you read reviews and feedback from other customers; this will help guide you to the best for your specific requirements.

Will the safe be a permanent installation or portable?

When you buy a home safe, you’ll no doubt imagine it staying in the same spot for years. However, this might not be the best choice for you.

A more lightweight, portable safe can be carried out of the house in the event of a fire or transported to another room (helpful if you’re undergoing renovations, for example). Keep in mind, though, that burglars will be able to just carry your safe out of your property if they’re strong enough.

A permanently-installed safe can be bolted to the wall or floor for enhanced protection. As burglars will be unable to remove it, they’ll have to risk capture if they want to ‘crack’ it while still in your home.

Go for secure combination or keypad locks

Invest in a home safe with a combination or keypad lock rather than a keyed one. While there’s nothing wrong with the latter, keys may be lost or forgotten about, which can be a major problem if you’re in a hurry to leave the house.

Combination and keypad codes, on the other hand, can be memorized or copied down on a discrete slip of paper. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but be sure to do your research before you part with your cash.

At Multi-Tech Locksmith, our safe unlocking and repairs are ideal to keep your safe in top condition. We’ll duplicate keys for you too, install cutting-edge surveillance cameras, alarms and more! If you want to know more, just pick up the phone and give us a call!