Anyone own a safe?

[cypher1]

While I don't have jewelry, or keep cash at home, I was just curious how many on this forum has some kind of personal safe at home. I know people with gun safes which is pretty self explanatory why, but none of us own, or so I think But this conversation came up when a friend mentioned shopping for a smaller one to keep concealed in their home. We ended up discussing different reasons of protecting important original paperwork besides scanning, backup data on different media, not just replication to an off site. Besides burglary, topics of natural disaster for flooding, fire, tornados all came up, while most of us agreed a large bolt down safe (factoring in initial cost/install) still doesn't provide a sure proof way of protecting important valuables. Then again most of us have no real experience with them personally. Does anybody who uses a safe have any suggestions or recommendations on what to look for?

[disneysteve]

I don't have a safe but we do have a fireproof lockbox where we keep important papers like our passports, birth certificates, car titles, etc.

[bjl584]

It was just delivered this past Friday actually. It's fireproof and holds up to 24 guns.

[edg126]

I bought a fireproof safe to hold important documents in case of fire. I was just discussing with my wife my concern that a burglar would confuse my passport and birth certificate with jewelry or cash locked inside it. I think it was on this forum that people mentioned to not store it in the master bedroom, so I'll put it somewhere else. For things of value that's why I have insurance, and I don't have things as a singular item that is worth money to place in a safe.

I had a friend who had a fire in his apartment and lost everything, he said it wasn't the flames but the water that destroyed everything, so I'm making it a point to store anything of personal value in waterproof containers in storage. His apartment caught on fire the week before he made settlement on his new house, and didn't have renters insurance -- not sure if he let it lapse because he was moving or just never had it.

[adpiterp]

I just bought one last week! Well, a fireproof box really. It's just for important documents, like passport, birth certificate, SS card, etc.

I am also concerned a burglar would think it was jewelry/cash, so thanks edg126 for the idea - I'll stick it in a different room.

[GREENBACK]

I have a couple of safes for guns and a couple other valuables. I don't keep my house money in them. To me a safe is a bit of a target for criminals. I prefer to stash cash and other items in less conspicous places. I too use the small fire resistant lockboxes for some items and stash these away.

[feh]

We need to buy one. We had been using a safe deposit box for years, but recently stopped.

Our primary use would be to save documents from a fire. We also need something to store computer backups in, which requires a different kind of safe than something you'd just put papers in...

[cypher1]

The more I read, the more I'm curious of looking at a small fire/water proof safe and hide in an awkward location. Main use would be important paperwork, data backups. Smaller lock box I'd be more concerned of someone still finding and grabbing quickly, than awkwardly lifting out of home.

[Ima saver]

I have a small safe. It is bolted to the floor in the closset. My husband built a big house for a doctore. He put his safe between the studs in the wall in the basement. I will do that in my next house.

[sblatner]

We just closed our B of A safe deposit box yesterday. 20 years of paying $100 per year is enough. We have a media safe which has thicker walls than normal safes for computer backups and a few other items. Our papers don't fit in it so we have them somewhere else. I like the comment about water damage. I'm definitely going to put the papers in a ziplock bag!

[snafu]

Several years ago we had a train derailment in our community which resulted in evacuation due to the media over reaction. The ATMs ran out of money immediately, and the CC verification system went down. From that point we have always kept between $ 200. and $ 500. cash in our home. A few years later we suffered two break-in in a five year span. 1st time it was obviously kids who made a huge mess, dumped every drawer and cupboard - it was shocking but while they got the coin collection albums DH had been accumulating since he was a kid, they missed $ 500. cash.

On advice of police, DH bought a safe that bolts from the inside to studs just large enough to hold 8" x 12" documents and items we value. Initially DH bolted the safe to the studs and M Bdrm closet floor. LOL, we had to lie on our bellies in the dark closet to put anything in/out of the safe. When we moved to the condo the safe was removed and is now bolted to studs and middle shelf in an accessible cupboard. It isn't in an obvious place.

The safe serves to give us peace of mind, keeps a myriad of legal documents safe, accessible and we know where they are...no search necessary. Valuables are all in one spot, we can keep large sums of cash at home, short term if necessary.

[breathemusic]

I've also got a fireproof box for documents, but now that I think about it... I'm not so sure it's waterproof. I really should put those papers in a ziplock bag.

[rvtraveler]

We have a hidden safe in our RV. Fireproof but not waterproof. I purchased a waterproof box for all paperwork.

[cypher1]

After talking more with another friend, he jokingly mentioned getting a cheaper safe and leaving somewhere in master bedroom while having main one hidden somewhere else in the house for misdirection. I actually liked that idea, but have no interest in getting 2 of them, let alone one just yet.

If I did get one, I was thinking of bolting/hiding one underneath crawl space below the main stairs on my split level home. That area is just used for extra storage and right next to the laundry room. I figure laundry room area wouldn't be the first place people would search for valuables.

[PMMM]

I have a safe that is 70" tall 32" wide and deep and it weighs 2340 empty and it's bolted to a concrete floor. Has heat to keep moisture at zero. I keep my guns and ammo in it and all of my important documents, irreplaceable pictures, cd's, computer backups, coins, and a couple thousand cash. It's rated 1 hour 1750 degrees and I doubt that anyone can break into it quickly . (It's not impossible just time consuming.) The door gap is so small you cannot get a pry bar of any type that I know of into it. But If the bad guy can get it out of the house they deserve it. (Good luck with that. LOL)

I too paid for safe deposit boxes for years and finally was sick of it. Especially when I needed to move to 2 safe deposit boxes or I needed some important document and it was a Sunday. Rats.

Finally broke down and bought a Graffunder safe. One of the best.