How Do You Store Your Valuables?
The majority of our clients choose to privately store their precious metals close at hand. This could mean a variety of things to a variety of people. For those that would like to store themselves and want to have a home safe, Royal Gold has taken the liberty of doing the research for you. Safes provide protection against theft, fire, and most natural disasters.
Royal Gold can help you choose which safe is best for your needs and where to best place them in your home.
What to Look For?
- SECURITY. Many different brands offer different security features for their home safes. Some of these security features are fingerprint entry, inside hinges, thick steel doors, multiple steel deadbolts, 8-digit PIN, and an alarm if you forget to lock your safe. Most safes even have multiple options for entering, such as a fingerprint scanner and a hidden key access. One thing to remember though is some of these features rely on battery power. You always want to buy a safe that has the physical key entry in case the batteries fail.
- WEIGHT. Home and Office safes come in many different weights. You can purchase a safe that weighs anywhere from 9 lbs to hundreds of pounds. When purchasing a safe to hold precious metals, we recommend a heavier safe as the lack of mobility will be a deterrent to thieves. The weight of a safe is also an indicator of the amount of steel used in the making of the safe. The heavier the safe, the thicker the steel to keep your metals protected.
- FIRE RATING. Gold melts at around 1,900 degrees Fahrenheit and a typical house fire burns at around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. While this is not hot enough to melt your precious metals, you may want to consider buying a fireproof safe if you intend to use it for more than precious metals.
- WEATHER PROTECTION. One of the benefits of precious metals is they are generally minimally affected by water, so you don’t necessarily need to purchase a safe with waterproof capabilities.
- PRICE. Prices can vary from as low as $50 to several thousands. Below you will see a list of our top recommended safes and they are in the $150-$200 range .
- APPEARANCE. Another feature to consider when purchasing a home safe is appearance. You can buy a standard square or rectangular safe, or you can purchase a safe that is designed to mislead. There are many safes that are designed to look like books, shelves, clocks, air vents, or even cans of soda.
- LOCATION-LOCATION-LOCATION. When it comes to placing your home safe, you need to think like a burglar. Most burglaries last between 2-12 minutes, because they want to get in and take what they can as quickly as possible. It could be beneficial for you to place your safe in a location that isn’t easy to access. Yes, this could be frustrating for you when you try to open your safe, but it could save you from losing your precious metals. Here are some more things to consider when placing your home safe.
- BEDROOMS. Most burglars go straight to the master bedroom when they first enter your house. They typically search your jewelry box, drawers, bedside table, under your bed, and your master closet first. This means you should place your safe in an unusual location, such as your laundry room, garage, kid’s room, or even your bathroom.
- WALL SAFE. Many safes have the capability of being attached to your wall. You can secure the safe right to the studs of your house, so you don’t have to worry about someone walking out the door with it. You can even hide your safe behind another object such as a bathroom mirror or a bookshelf.
- FLOOR SAFE. If you don’t like the idea of drilling holes in your wall, you can consider securing your safe to the floor. Some safes have predrilled holes in the bottom, so you can attach it to the floor in your garage or basement. You could even disguise your safe by placing a box or storage container over it.
No Safe?
If you don’t want to buy a safe, but still want to keep your precious metals in your house, consider some of these hiding places*:
- Walls: You can easily cut a small hole in your wall, maybe behind a large piece of furniture. Once you place your precious metals in the wall, cover the hole back up and move your piece of furniture back in place. This may sound silly and unreliable, but a burglar is not going to take the time to search behind all of your heavy furniture for a wall opening.
- Doors: Another option is using your doors. You can quickly drill a hole in the top of your door that is big enough for a tube of coins. This is another place that burglars are unlikely to look.
- Kitchen Cabinets: Below your kitchen cabinets is a piece of molding called a toe kick. There is about a 4 inch space behind those moldings. You can easily remove this piece of wood, store your precious metals, and replace the wood. No one would know the difference. Another place in your kitchen could be in your food cabinet. Just place your precious metals in a cereal or cracker box. They would be in a location that most people would not think to look.
- Paint Cans: Once you empty a paint can, let it dry. Then simply place your precious metals in the can and store it on the shelf with all your other paint cans. It blends right in and is easy to access.