Do you need a home safe?

How to store your most important records and other valuable belongings

Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to keep things in locked storage:

How difficult would it be to replace the item?

Anything that requires significant paperwork, your time, and/or money to replace from a governmental, financial, or legal body is a good candidate for secure storage.

Does it have great financial value?

If you have valuable jewels or significant amounts of cash, consider keeping it in either a bank or in secure storage at home.

Is it dangerous?

Any kind of firearms should be stored locked in safe storage.

Is it backup information that would be difficult to replace?

Keep your backup data storage secure. If you have terabytes of data stored on external hard drives, you probably have considered secure data storage already. Just remember a backup drive lost in a fire is not backed up.

Here is a partial list of the items you should consider for locked storage. This is not exhaustive but catches some high points.

• Marriage, birth, death, and adoption certificates

• Passports

• Social security cards

• Automobile titles

• Life insurance policies

• Property deeds of title

• Immigration status documents (Visas, Green cards, I-94s, etc.)

• Divorce decrees

• Copyrights, patents, or trademark information

Which do I need? A home safe or a safe deposit box?

It depends on what you need and how long you plan to need it.

Both options provide you protection from fire or theft.

One major difference between the two options is accessibility.

If you choose to keep items in a safe deposit box at your local bank, you will only be able to retrieve those items during bank hours. Under your control at home, you can get in your own safe any time. You may also be limited in the kinds of things you can keep in a bank safe deposit box as you will be subject to their terms and conditions.

Another major difference is cost.

A one-time outlay for a personal safe may be less expensive over time than paying monthly or annual fees to a bank. A lock box can start as low as $20.00 but keep in mind they can easily walk away. Secure, firesafe, locked storage at home can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, whereas safe deposit boxes can run $50-$200 per year.

There are several features you can choose in a home safe, depending on your comfort level and need for complexity.

A simple inexpensive lock box could come with a key. You can upgrade to biometric scanners, tamper alerts, and keyless entry options.

A safety deposit box of course has the security of a bank vault.

Do your research, compare, and purchase only what you need.

If I choose a home safe, which should I purchase?

There are three main classes of home safe available for purchase.

1. The free standing safe. These can be quite small or enormous, depending on need. There are small, fireproof boxes available on Amazon for as little as $15.00 and steel standing safes taller than the average man available for hundreds of dollars. Again, it depends on what you need. Depending on weight and size, these may not be locked down so an intruder could remove these from your home so keep them someplace discreet.

2. The floor safe. These can also be large or small, but the key benefit is that they are bolted to your floor or surface making it more difficult to easily burgle. While they are locked down, you should also keep them someplace discreet.

3. The wall safe. Just like in the movies, these are built into the frame of your home and are concealed behind artwork or curtains. These offer little fire protection and require construction for installation. Unless you are building your home, these may be difficult to add.

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Storing important and hard-to-replace items openly in your home may feel okay because you do not plan to be burgled.

But don't make it easy for an intruder.

Obvious locations, like filing cabinets or jewelry boxes, are easily rifled and emptied. Consider saving yourself time, cost, and annoyance by planning ahead.

Play it “safe” (pun intended!) and keep your valuable papers and belongings secure in either a home safe or a safe deposit box.

When you're ready to tackle your tough organization project, I am here to help you learn how.

Let's RETHINK organization together.

For more information, visit the RETHINK website today.

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Mandy Thomas is a professional organizer fulfilling her lifelong passion for creating order out of chaos. She finds joy in helping people tackle their most overwhelming spaces and collections to create the optimal living space and enjoy their homes.

RETHINK organization is on a mission to help you develop long-term patterns of organization that you can maintain and feel good about long after our work together is done.