Do you have a Home Safe - for papers, docs, etc.

[HI Bill]

I would recommend using a safe deposit box at the bank if you're really concerned. I have a safe at home, but it weighs about 75 pounds. I have it bolted to the floor. I would not recommend a safe with an electronic lock, as the Sentry electronic locks in the store displays always seem to be broken. My safe has both a key and a rotary dial. My stuff would get wet, but would survive a modest fire. But the safe deposit box at the bank has the house title, most important certificates, and external hard disk drives backing up everything digital that we value.

 

[always_learning]

I have one of those portable light brown units that has a key.... I keep the key in the lock and hope if there are crooks they will just open it up and see nothing in there they want...

I only have it to protect in case of fire... it is in the back of the closet behind shirts...

My mom has one also, but lost the key... luckily it was not locked and I think I can get new keys as there is a number on the inside... will have to check...

You might be able to get a replacement key but I would be surprised if the company would do it without proof of purchase in case someone is trying to get a key for a stolen box. Just a wild guess there. I wonder if a locksmith could help out? Ours came with two keys.... are both your mother's keys missing?

Anything I really want to protect from burglars is in a safe deposit box at the bank and copies of papers are in the tan fireproof/waterproof box that I bought before we had the box at the bank.

 

[always_learning]

My insurance company did take some pictures of my house outside. I didn’t know you need the inside too. I never save anything for my house. I didn’t know you need to.

Do you have a contents list? If not, you should make one. It should be as detailed as possible, down to the deck of cards in your junk drawer and what brand it is.

A friend lost everything in a deadly tornado (family was unharmed, though) and had to create such a list form scratch. She said trying to remember how many winter blankets and DVDs they had all from memory was horrible. It added immensely to the stress they were already under.

I go through my house once a year with my phone on 'video' and I open cupboards & drawers and verbally point out what's in them and mention name brands, showing maker's marks, if possible. Important/expensive items get photos and I have serial numbers/models for appliances and electronics stored off site. Why do all of this? Because insurance companies will take your list of stuff and give you money to replace with generic items if brands aren't mentioned/known. So a "toaster" gets you $15 because that's what you can get a toaster for at Walmart but you may have had an expensive one that buttered it for you. Photos and videos are a godsend at times like that.

If that's not what you were talking about, just ignore me. Since my friend's loss and having read about what others have gone through (tornadoes, hurricanes, fires), it's almost a soapbox for me and I try to spread the word when I can.

 

[Fedup]

I don’t care about the content, everything is replaceable, just the house I want to insure. The content at most is $50k, and that’s generous. But I do have some built in furniture that may cost $10k-$20k.

But I worry about having a big safe, when there’s a fire, I just want my husband and I to get out safely with my purse which has keys to the car and house. Nothing too heavy.

 

[Oz investor]

I have a lot of good jewelry. I have a safe that's not secured to anything- could be easily carried off if someone found it- but it's in a VERY inconspicuous place in the house. It also contains passports (I have mine going back to the first one I obtained in 1977) and other important papers. Every few weeks I "rotate" my jewelry- put in the pieces I've been wearing and take out 2 or 3 rings, bracelets, pairs of earrings, etc. That way if someone breaks into the house they'll get SOME of my jewelry but not all of it. I shudder when I see those lovely jewelry boxes, meant to be displayed in the bedroom. Perfect way to keep all your treasures in one place and SHOUT to burglars where they are.

the majority of the jewelry is for the inherited estates ( and some collected as an investment )

i normally wear no watches or jewelry , so unless you are after the 4 ( tiny ) platinum markers in my heart , i am normally not carrying much of readily cash-able value .

most of the time i look as poor as a church mouse ( even my best suit is my father's and he died pre-1970 )

i use the the theory of .. there are much more attractive targets out there ( even in the same street )

 

[RunningBum]

I go through my house once a year with my phone on 'video' and I open cupboards & drawers and verbally point out what's in them and mention name brands, showing maker's marks, if possible. Important/expensive items get photos and I have serial numbers/models for appliances and electronics stored off site.

I do this and store the videos (I take one for each room) and any pics in the cloud, and also email it to myself, starred and marked to not delete.

 

[brewer12345]

i use the the theory of .. there are much more attractive targets out there ( even in the same street )

Me too. Even my "presentable" clothes are from the thrift store. The only time I might look like a slightly more attractive target is in the first few years after I buy a car/truck. After a few years of ownership, back to unremarkable.

 

[gamboolman]

We use the Gun Safe shown below. Has a 2 hour fire rating at 1,750 degree's Fahrenheit. Thing weighs over 1,800 lbs empty.

For a small safe - recommend the Fort Knox. Make sure you have the combo wrote down somewhere.

 

[Helena]

the majority of the jewelry is for the inherited estates ( and some collected as an investment )

i normally wear no watches or jewelry , so unless you are after the 4 ( tiny ) platinum markers in my heart , i am normally not carrying much of readily cash-able value .

most of the time i look as poor as a church mouse ( even my best suit is my father's and he died pre-1970 )

i use the the theory of .. there are much more attractive targets out there ( even in the same street )

Reminds me of myself

I have stopped carrying a purse. I keep my drivers license and credit card in a secure pocket.

The best way to hide something inside a house is to become a hoarder... the only problem is forgetting where you put it


.

 

[morriss003]

Thinking about getting a small safe for central storing of important docs, passports, etc., for our house, but not sure which way to go. Priorities are fire/water safe, and a reasonable size for documents and small valuables.

I like the idea of a small portable unit to pick up and go, link a bulky briefcase kinda thing, if there's an evac need (we live in a hurricane area). But then are those smaller units more attractive to a break in? We'd probably put it higher up in a closet in the office/bedroom either way.

I've looked at a few that say they are easily jimmied open - which then would cast doubt on their water resistance. Also most are plastic, so I'm not sure how realistic the fire protection is either.

I also like the idea of a key code vs. a physical key, kinda like the hotel mini-safes? But I really don't think I'd want to spend more than a couple hundred at most.

Recommendations please!

We had a small portable, but when our house was burglarized, everything in it was lost. We now have a small safe, very heavy.

 

[sengsational]

Like many here, everything I think is important is at the bank safe deposit box.

I did install a fire resistant box with an entire tube of liquid nails. And it's in a tight, hidden place (hard to get a crow bar on it, or smash it). But it's open and empty now anyway.

Like gauss, I sometimes wonder if life wouldn't be better if it all went up, lol!

 

[timo2]

I saw a recommendation from a 'safety consultant' to have two safes, one for the criminals / family members to find, and the real one hidden somewhere.

We put all important documents in a safety deposit box. and hide the jewelry
.

 

[catii]

As an engineer, the most important factor in choosing a fireproof safe is how tightly it seals. Even paper is unlikely to burn if there's no air, so listen for that "hiss" sound when you're opening & closing a potential safe.

 

[swabby01]

Yes have multiple that receive both docs and other stuff necessary to keep locked up in addition to two full size gun safes. Only one is easily movable unless I was the Hulk (Im not) and that one has the docs I would need should a disaster happen

 

[Canoeboy]

We have have a “Lock Box” for important documents for 20 years. It’s basically a briefcase size fire safe. We don’t actually lock it - just latched. Not real concerned about burglary, just in case the house burns down. At least we would have marriage certificate, Visas, SS cards, deeds, etc.

 

[timo2]

.. just in case the house burns down. At least we would have marriage certificate, Visas, SS cards, deeds, etc.

That is what is in our safety deposit box

 

[Cobra9777]

We have a small fireproof box for important documents. It's bolted to the concrete foundation in the back of my closet, and it's locked all the time. The kids know where the key is if needed. We do keep some jewelry and unused CCs in there, but mostly just passports, car titles, birth certificates, computer backups, wills, and other important documents. Everything is replaceable, so I see no point in overdoing it.

 

[DrRoy]

We have a small fireproof box that locks. I wouldn't call it a safe.