Security cameras, alarms, smart locks, sensors, and home security systems can alert you if someone enters your home, but they cannot guarantee that your most important and cherished possessions will remain protected. This is why having a safe is the last line of defense against property loss, whether it’s from theft or some other disaster like a flood or fire.
When it comes to deciding what to keep in your safe, it’s important to prioritize. Essential personal documents such as passports, birth certificates, social security cards, and vital financial documents like property deeds, vehicle titles, inheritance or beneficiary forms, retirement plans, and pension forms are worth protecting. Likewise, health documents and insurance or essential medical documents, including those related to medical history, should be stored in your safe.
If you have valuable items such as cash, heirlooms, jewelry, and sentimental photos, they should also be kept in a locked safe. Jewelry is a common target during a break-in because it can be reliably sold for cash, and sentimental photos could be destroyed in a disaster. Additionally, keeping sensitive material or compromising photos in your safe is worth considering to avoid having them end up in the wrong hands.
Buying a safe provides peace of mind and ensures that your valuables and essentials are protected from just about everything. However, it’s important to remember not to keep the combination or key somewhere easily accessible to others.
For more home security tips, check out resources on where to place security cameras, how to keep your security cameras from being hacked, and how to discourage car break-ins.