Do you guys use a safe at home to store your valuables, documents, etc.? Is it a fire/burgular one or just a burgular one? I'm seriously thinking about getting a safe. I'm not home all that much as I travel for business 80% of the time. I keep my documents, credit cards, checkbooks, coins in a locking three drawer file cabinet currently. But I'm sure it can be broken into easy enough. I looked at Gardall safes online awhile back and looks like it's cost a bit over $1000 for a smaller size safe, plus installation costs to bolt it to the concrete. Then I noticed that Discovery Channel's "It Takes a Thief" supplies Gardall safes to homeowner's that they break into. $1000 is a lot, but the safe will last a lifetime. Do you think it's worth the cost? I'd like to start safeguarding my valuables and my identity at home.

Thanks,

Alan

I just bought from costco. Fire safe with keypad and standard combo lock and combo can be changed. Used nice long concrete anchors and bolts mounted from the inside and the safe is somewhat hidden. I did not get super fancy because of the other deterrents in my house, the alarm on every window and door, i commute with one pistol, etc. I did not look as much into the safe quality and such as I should have, I suppose. But its enough for me given the other security at home.

Still need to bury bouncing betty's around the front yard and string the razor wire around the perimeter to make sure im covered.

What about a safe deposit box at your bank for the things you don't need on hand all the time?

If you are gone, a theif will have time to get into a safe. I don't care who made it or how good it is-- it just takes time.

A friend had his very large gun safe (72" x 48" x 40", about 1700lbs empty) ripped out of his house with a truck & a chain through an exterior wall, and dragged into the backyard where they cut the front door skin off using fiber cutoff wheels to get to the pin & relocker mechanisms. They made off with a lot of guns and cash. They also switched off his power and cut the phone line so his alarm system's battery backup died and even then it would have been unable to dial the central station. They didn't take anything else in the house oddly enough...

He was gone on vacation for two weeks and the process likely took a couple of days. He's also out in the country with no neighbors which made this possible. If it was in town the racket from the cutoff wheels would have raised a few eyebrows-- to say nothing of the amount of attention a truck pulling a safe through the wall of the house and into the yard would get!

Your main goal is to make the effort of getting into the safe as hard and long of an effort as possible. Put it on the concrete, use large anchors, and put it in the middle of the house to prevent them from yanking it out with a chain and a vehicle. If it's a large safe, keep it out of sight from exterior windows and if you can try and hide it so visitors, even if you know them, don't know it's there. A safe also needs to be really big and heavy IMO because smaller safes will just be picked up and taken "offsite" for opening. You do however have the option with a smaller safe of stashing it really well.

If "interested parties" don't know a safe is there they likely will not come equipped to deal with one.

For your situation, I'm thinking a safe deposit box is the best option, although a well stashed (and anchored) small safe could be good too.

Be wary of fire ratings, lots of deceptive tactics used. The biggest one is claiming an artificially high fire resistance time by setting an internal safe "end of testing" temp so high that all the safe contents will be damaged long before the time is reached.

99% of thieves dont have the time nor the know how to do such a long job. The guys that stole his guns knew what they were after, how to get to it and so on. They had the time to do such a job. If you are the normal Joe Schmoe living in town, where your neighbors know who you are and you let them know when you will be gone, it makes it hard for a run of the mill thief to pull a bulky item through the wall of a house grind through it and take everything. Granted there aren't too many people who have the money to build a multi million dollar safe in their house, but safes are a great deturrent. If a theif comes into your house, he knows exactly what to look for, and knows that a lot of times safes are put in closets, offices or small rooms. So placement isnt as big an issue when it comes to hiding. Watch the show "It takes a theif" they give A LOT of good information on keeping things safe.

Brinks also makes good safes. They've been in the safe and vault business since day 1.

I think a good large gn safe would be best. You can have enough space to make it organized, which will mean you will use it more. Think of it as a lockable closet.

Kurt, I thought about a security deposit box at a bank, but a safe at home is much more convienent(sp?) and would be cheaper in the long run than paying for a security deposit box. I don't have many items that are valuable (in my sense). Documents that could be used to steal my identity, some coins, and keys for vehicles. Besides that, the garage is where most of my valuable items reside.

I live in a typical residental track home area. The neighbor keeps an eye on my place when I'm gone. There wouldn't be much chance a senario like Troy posted would happen (that's pretty wild Troy!) at my house. I know a skilled thief could get anything or break into anything (with time of course), but simple deterrents will keep the "wanna-bees" out. I think an in-floor safe would be great, but not sure if a permit would need to be pulled or what in order to cut a hole in the concrete foundation?

I want "It Takes a Thief" quite a bit. That's what really got me thinking of securing my place more than it is.

Alan. $1000 is a lot, Until thieves break in or your house catches fire. I say, buy the safe, Install it properly and travel with piece of mind.

I've been robbed a few times, and it sucks.:mad:

However, what I now like to keep safe are things like spare credit cards, passports, birth certificates, etc. The stuff that can cost you your identity... and ultimately huge $$.

Therefore my safe needs are of a small physical size.

Get some 1/2 plate, cut to size 16" X16" X 8" high. You or have a buddy weld it up. Weld inside hinges and use lock box style lock.

Inside, back corner under stairs is a good place to put it. Build a form around it, wrap with re-bar, and pour the mix over it. When done, fill under stairs with Christmas decorations, suitcases, hockey gear, sleeping bags and all the other krap.

Out of sight out of mind.:thumbsup:

When we were kids and went on holidays, my Dad would leave about $50 in change on the kitchen table with a note.."take this and get lost". We never got robbed.

Good luck.

John

Kurt, I thought about a security deposit box at a bank, but a safe at home is much more convienent(sp?) and would be cheaper in the long run than paying for a security deposit box. I don't have many items that are valuable (in my sense). Documents that could be used to steal my identity, some coins, and keys for vehicles. Besides that, the garage is where most of my valuable items reside.


Sounds like you need a wall safe. Something like this (just a random example)

https://www.buyasafe.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=449

And don't do the classic movie thing and mount it behind a photo. Mount it inside/behind a kitchen cupboard, and keep it hidden with cereal boxes or behind the fridge, etc. They also make floor versions of this idea and you could hide that under the bed (just cut a flap in the carpet to cover it) or under a dresser, etc

One other idea is to forget the safe idea altogether and just get a good firebox and hide it someplace nobody would look. Got an attic? Set it between the rafters and cover it with insulation.

Just sitting in my living room right now, I can see 5 or 6 places you could stash a small fire box and nobody would think to look. Most thieves are gonna amek a fast past thru, check the obvious places for case/gus/etc and get the heck out of the house.

Your main goal is to make the effort of getting into the safe as hard and long of an effort as possible.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I bought mine. It's big, heavy and bolted to the floor in a corner far back in the basement. The location makes it pretty much impossible to rip out with a truck, unless you also rip out the HVAC system, the water heater and most of the columns that support the house. I'm sure that some people would be stupid enough to try it, but the safe will be safely buried under the rubble of the house if they do. :D

One thing you want to look for is how the bolts are designed. Mine has a second set of bolts on the hinge side so if you torch the hinges, you still won't be able to open the door. Of course, any safe can be moved and/or opened, but again: the main thing is to make it as tedious and time consuming as possible. Burglars are usually in a hurry, and if it takes too long they will more than likely call it a day and leave.

I think I paid about $1,500 for mine, and I consider it a good investment.

I found that to go back into a closet or under the cabinets is a good place to build a safe. I made one between the floor joist and just boxed in an area the size I wanted. Then from the inside of the house I cut out the sub floor and let it be the lid that rested on the floor joist. Lay the carpet back over it and it is out of sight. I know it is not fire proof and definitely can be opened by anyone that locates it, but there is the one advantage, they have to locate it and that can take time depending on your site chosen. It is not a store bought safe but it is a hiding place if you keep it a secret.

That's for the tips, hints, and advice! Good to know it's not a worthless investment (I didn't think it would be). I think I need a safe bigger than a wall safe. I have a whole shoe box full of coins, which would be hard to fit in there. That'd be easier to conceal. I need a safe that is easy for me to get to, if I'm going to put things like my check book and extra credit cards in it. I guess I want a decent size one that has room to grow. If I ever get married, I'm sure there will be more items to put in it. Maybe one I can go hide in it :) . LOL. My house is single story and doesn't have many places to truely hide a safe; except an in-floor safe. If I got a fire/burglar safe that weighed 300-400lbs. and was bolted to the concrete, that should deter most thieves I would think. If nobody knew I had one, and the thief didn't stop at U-Haul for an appliance dolly, he'd have a hard time getting that puppy outta my house.

I have to get one though. Every time I leave for a trip, I wonder if my valuables will be there when I get back. I need to look into getting the house alarm system activated as all windows and doors are wired into the system (it's a new home that included the alarm system).

Any other tips, hints, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Anyone ever had a safe stolen that was bolted to the ground? I still can't get over Troy's story. Crazy. Thanks!

any of the better gun safe's will more then fill the bill..... at over 1500 lbs the punny little uhaul dolly an't going to get it out the door !!! sure given a plasma cutter & enough time anything can be gotten into..... I've heard storys of people keeping gun power & reloading supplys in safe's .... :D sure wouldn't want to try to cut one of those open ........

any of the better gun safe's will more then fill the bill..... at over 1500 lbs the punny little uhaul dolly an't going to get it out the door !!! sure given a plasma cutter & enough time anything can be gotten into..... I've heard storys of people keeping gun power & reloading supplys in safe's .... :D sure wouldn't want to try to cut one of those open ........

Yeah, the poor bastard who tries to torch my safe is in for a nasty surprise. Among other necessities, there must be at least 4,000 rounds of ammo in it, most of it in pretty powerful calibers. :D

The weight is one of the reasons why I went with a bigger safe. If you had seen the guys from the store sweating and cussing while they were coaxing it into the basement, you wouldn't even think about hauling it off.

BTW: For the very same reason, buy your safe delivered and installed. ;)

I still can't get over Troy's story. Crazy. Thanks!

The crazy thing is the responding officers/crime lab guys said it isn't the first time they've seen it happen! :angry:

My friend was devastated. He lost 50-something guns, many of which were handed down from his great-grandfather and such, along with ~60K in cash. Why he didn't have it invested or in a bank, I don't know.

Fake water heater hooked up to fake pipes, holds a lot of goodies.

Forget about getting a little one that bolts down. I have pry bars that can pull it up without much effort. Get something heavy.
Consider buying a used one from a safe company. They pick them up cheap and refurbish them. They also will deliver.