Commonly, people think home safes are for wealthy people who need extra security for their money and precious items. However, everyone has cash and some non-monetary items of great value, including jewellery, documents, memorabilia, which are all worth protecting. 

Let’s find out if you should consider buying a safe for your home.

Benefits of having a safe at home

Add an extra layer of protection

The most significant advantage of installing a home safe is its additional protection. Even if your house is robbed or you invite someone over, you will have peace of mind knowing your valuables will be safe. 

A high-quality home safe can also protect your valuables in the case of emergencies like floods or fires. There are different types of home safes with unique features like fireproof or water-resistant safes, which will fully protect items inside.

Protect your family members

If you have children, a home safe will be critical to keeping easy-to-damage stuff away from them. Besides, dangerous pieces of equipment like guns and knives should be kept away in a secure place to avoid accidents. 

Cost-effective

Compared to a safe deposit box at banks, a home safe is a cheaper option that does not require monthly or annually payment.

Moreover, a home safe is a one-off security purchase. It is a virtual object that helps you and your family secure your important items at an affordable price. Plus, the home safe can last for a lifetime.

Where to place my home safe?

There is no best answer to this question because it depends on your preference, items in the safe, and your purpose of using it. However, there are some suggestions that you may find helpful and related to your situation.

• If the items stored in the safe are jewellery or other personal possessions, you may want to put the safe in your bedroom or closet since it may be more private.

• For important documents like certificates, licenses, or passports, you should keep your safes as high off the ground as possible.
• If you store dangerous items or self-defense weapons, you can keep them safe at the most accessible place to reach, like your working desk or next to your bed.

Asking yourself what the purpose of the safe is will help you figure out the most convenient location to set it up. But, try to avoid keeping your safe near the entry points of your house, because burglars may try to take the whole safe through the entrance once you leave the door open.

Which home safe should I choose?

There are some crucial factors that you should consider when shopping for a home safe, including types of safes, costs, and features. 

Safe Types

There are quite many types of home safes in the market; different brands have different features. As you browse around for safes, you may come across one or more of the following lists.

• Fireproof safes – The design of these types of safes can minimise the amount of heat from the outside to the inside. The best safes can protect its interior from being damaged by up to 180 degrees Celcius.
• Waterproof safes – Different waterproof safes have different capabilities of protecting the items from water damage. Common waterproof safes can resist water for 24 hours while this number for some best quality safes can be up to 72 hours.
• Floor safes – These types of safes require special installation by professionals from the safe company. An interesting benefit of these safes is that they are more secure while hiding under a bed or a mat.
• Wall safes – Similar to floor safes, but these are installed into the wall.
• Weapon safes – These types of safes have extra protection features like registered fingerprint or face ID locks, which prevent access from unauthorized persons.
• Documents safes – These are the most basic safes in the industry. There are separated shelves with a different key for each.
• Combination safes – These safes come with various features. For example, it can be a document safes with fire and water protection.

In comparing different types of safes, you can think of the reason and purpose of using that safe.

Cost

The higher the safe’s price, the better protection it will provide for your valuables. However, it depends on your needs and purpose of purchasing a safe; you may not need the best of the best. 

A home safe can cost from as cheap as NZ$60 up to NZ$1,000. You may want to consider your budget instead of being caught up in the size of the safe and its features.

Safe Features

Are you a tech-savvy person? Or do you prefer classic, easy-to-use objects? 

In the market, there are many options for you to choose from. The safe providers offer customers a wide range from the most classic safes that can be accessed using a password or key to more high-end safes that feature face-ID, fingerprint, eye scan, alarm, and many more. Classic safes that use passwords or keys can cost you less than a fancy safe with AI technology features.

Where should I buy a home safe?

I talked with Chubb’s specialist about getting home safes for myself. It turns out that different brands have different standards for their safes. 

If you are serious about getting quality safes, it is best to purchase from companies specialising in them. There are quite a few brands in New Zealand for you to choose like Chubb, Auckland Safe and Lock Servicing Ltd, or Yale Safes.

Large retailers like The Market NZ, Mitre 10, or NZ Outlet also offer home safes. However, many of their safes are on the lower end in price and features. 

It is recommended that you do some research and check for customers’ reviews to ensure you have yourself a good deal.

Conclusion

Having a home safe is critical to keep your valuables and documents from being stolen or damaged. It is also very cost-effective as you will not want to lose thousands of dollars worth of items in a fire or earthquake. 

On the other hand, knowing which is the right safe to buy, which items will suit a specific safe, or where to place the safes is not always easy. Following these recommendations can give you a better idea of choosing a safe that matches your needs and budget. If you want more information about some particular safe models and their features, check out our previous posts on the best home safes of 2020 here