Ways To Hide Your Safe In Plain Sight
Residential safes have come a long way since their introduction to the market more than a century ago. Some of the newest models even come with biometric authentication and environmental monitoring capabilities. Brilliant, no doubt. However, thieves too are becoming more and more cunning. If they can get a hold of your safe, they will likely find a way to pry it open on the spot or even bag the whole thing and escape with it. But that is only if they can find out where it is.
According to Forbes, most robbers will only stay in a property between 8 to 10 minutes before making a run. So, their goal is to find valuables quickly and efficiently. Installing an alarm system and having vigilant neighbors are surely an advantage. When those fail, however, your last line of defense is your wits. Hey. If you can't scare them, fool them. Here are some of the most ingenious yet surprisingly simple ways to conceal your safe inside your home.
Put it in the kitchen cabinet with fragile items
Many former burglars attest that bedrooms and offices are the first places where they look. Kitchens, on the other hand, may be among the last areas they will explore. Mainly because it is uncommon for homeowners to store valuables in this room. Knowing their time is limited, thieves will always start in locations with the highest probability of hitting a jackpot. Another advantage is that the kitchen often has numerous cabinets, shelves, and drawers, making the search more complex.
Now, if ever the thieves do venture through your cupboards, a crew of fragile glasses, mugs, and saucers might stop them in their tracks. Breaking something and waking up the whole house or alarming the family pet could be too much of a risk. If you have a box from an old appliance like a crock pot, you can hide your safe inside it first before shielding it with your glassware. Clever as this idea may be, a different hiding place might be more convenient if you tend to open your safe frequently.
Keep it in the pantry behind empty cereal boxes
We already know that the kitchen is not a popular hangout for intruders. These people target either money or items that can be exchanged for money. Therefore, food and beverages are not necessarily on the priority list. So, why not stash your safe in the pantry? Not only is there space, but there are plenty of items that you can use as cover. The mishmash of product labels, various shapes, and colors also creates a visual clutter that will make it more challenging for ill-minded treasure seekers.
Thanks to their size and height, one ideal spot to stash your safe is behind cereal boxes. However, it doesn't always have to be cereal. The same technique can work using other packaged food as long it's large enough to hide your safe. Or, put it behind bins, baskets, and any other items used to organize your pantry. If you don't have a ton of groceries on hand, take some empty boxes and stuff them with crumpled paper, cloth, or any filler.
Place it where the dog sleeps
Dogs bring more than just company, comfort, and cuteness. These loyal animals can growl, bite, and chase off intruders. And even if they're tiny, they still tend to bark, a doggone problem for any sneaky thief. K. Campbell, a certified protection professional, tells CNET, "Research shows that 'occupancy cues' like dogs are major deterrents in attempts to burglarize homes. In fact, the research reveals that dogs of any size are effective. Large dogs pose a physical threat, and small dogs tend to be noisy."
Regardless of the breed, it's possible to train your canine to sleep in a specific spot within your house, giving you a perfect location to hide a safe. Next to a cabinet or under a desk, for instance, could be a convenient setting. Then, place a dog bed, crate, or pet blanket in the area. Give your furry friend a treat every time they curl up there for the evening to encourage them to sleep in their on-guard position.
Use a secret compartment in your dresser
Keeping your safe in your dresser seems to be an obvious strategy. In fact, many burglars put sock drawers at the tops of their search lists. However, if you can deceive them that your safe is not in this apparent location, then you can throw them off target early in the process. It's a classic misleading tactic. This can be tricky to execute, but there's a simple way to pull it off like a pro.
One technique is to create secret compartments in unnoticeable areas of your dresser. Behind the toe kick, for example, is an ideal spot. The toe kick refers to the base of the cabinet which elevates it several inches from the floor line. Try pulling out the very bottom drawer completely to reveal this hollow space. It just might be high enough to fit a small safe. If so, slide the safe in and put the drawer back in its place.
Hide it inside your furniture
If you like saving space, you likely have furniture pieces that double as storage. Maybe you've opted for a comfy couch with hinged cushions that can serve as a storage chest too. What's great about these items is that they are usually designed with subtlety in mind. Most people won't even notice that this furniture has dual functions based on its appearance. Because they try to be as discrete as possible, intruders will often not bother inspecting bulky items. So there is a good chance that your safe will stay undetected.
You'll find plentiful options online for combo furniture and storage products. Some suggestions include ottomans, footstools, sectional sofas, and vanity stools. As much as possible, select the types that open from the top instead of the sides as these tend to be more deceptive. For example, rather than a bed frame with pull-out drawers, consider one that uses hydraulics to lift the mattress, revealing an abundant storage space underneath. It will be best to buy them in sets or go for a piece that blends well with your existing furniture. You do not want your secret hiding place to stand out from the rest of the pack.
Store it in an unused cooler
What if you do not have furniture with storage? Not to worry. There are other household items lying around that can do just as well or perhaps even better. If you have a cooler that is waiting for a summer outing, it can serve as an effective concealing tool. These typically offer a fairly large space and can hold a decent-sized safe. And again, the dissociation of valuables with food and drinks plays to your advantage here.
For added illusion, place your safe at the bottom of your ice chest and then cover it up with other items before closing the lid. Fill it with your stash of paper cups, napkins, or paper towels. Once closed, stack more stuff on top of it. This creates the look that your cooler has not been used for quite some time. The same trick can also work using a suitcase collecting dust in your attic.
Use false containers with innocent-sounding labels
Coolers and luggage are suitable decoys because using them for your safe twists the idea of their designated purpose. But what if you take advantage of a random container with no specific use — let's say a plain, old cardboard box? You might not expect it, but this can fool thieves simply by falsely labeling them. Burglars are unlikely to spend their precious time going through boxes with dull labels like "sister's clothes" or "college textbooks."
If you want to try this hack, it is best you use multiple containers and group them in one place. And remember, you only need to fake the one that will hold your safe. Another quite similar method is to use false packaging. For instance, one particular brand of safety boxes called Mandem Safe is actually designed to fit inside shoe boxes. Old boxes from kitchenware and bedding also make great decoys. These items are typically not the target of thieves and will likely be ignored.