Do you own a home safe?

[asscherisme]

I am curious how common having a home safe is? And what comments people have on home safes?

Also, if you answer yes to owning a home safe, at what dollar level did you decide to purchase it? In other words, at say $9K worth of jewelry you did not have it and at say $20K you decided to buy it?

What type and where did you buy it? And if you have a home safe, do you still store jewlery in a safe deposit box?

 

[huntress]

On your thoughts of home safe purchase, I think that purchasing a safe should be considered regardless of how much your jewelry is worth. I think you definitely should consider it not just for jewelry but also for all the other valuable items in you home IE cameras, laptops, photo albums, etc. and make sure it is fire proof. I know I would be devistated if any of that was destroyed either in a fire or burglary.
I am new here but had to put in my 1 1/2 cents
Thanks

 

[oldminer]

Once you own your own home have a good alarm system put in which has central station monitoring 24/7. After the installation is done go out and puirchase a floor or wall mounted safe larege enough for your valuables. Don''t have the alarm company wire it. Install it with the help of a trusted person. You really do NOT want an unknown workman or alarm company employee to knwo you have such a safe or where it it is installed. At that point you will be well protected for things you are not wearing, but just leaving at home.

Make usre the safe is not visible. Install it in the floor of the basesment. Hide it under a rug. Put it in a wall. Cover it with a picture or a panel. Put it where the room is alarmed with an interior door alsrm attached to your system. Now, you''ll be protected.

It is a very good investment. Think of how much jewelry insurance coverage you won''t need once you have done this installation. It will pay for itself very quickly.

 

[denverappraiser]

Date: 4/16/2007 8:46:07 AM
Author: oldminer

It is a very good investment. Think of how much jewelry insurance coverage you won't need once you have done this installation. It will pay for itself very quickly.

Home invasion is not the only peril covered by a good insurance policy. A good safe, and a good alarm are good investments but they are not a substitute for good insurance. Many insurance companies will give you a discount on your premiums for alarms and safes, which can help to offset some or even all of the cost but this is not an either/or type decision.

If you decide to plant it in the basement floor, you should also pay attention to the level of the water table in your community. I've lived in places where the water is but a few inches below the basement floor.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[JohnQuixote]

Good topic. Ditto the comments about security and insurance.

A safe is good for things other than valuables; birth certificates, social security cards, property titles, investment records, retirement documents, wills, etc etc. Like many in the trade I avoid 'bringing work home'

for security reasons, but I've owned a fireproof safe for documents for many years. Nice to be able to drop valuables in it when going out of town. A safety deposit box is another good precaution against losing valuable media and records; but not as convenient as the home safe.

If you're looking at fireproof safes they are not all built the same way. The average fire burns at 800 degrees and lasts for 30 minutes. Most fireproof safes are tested at much higher temperatures, but check the fire rating for max internal temperature: Paper burns at 350 degrees but media is damaged at 125 degrees. Fireproof safes with a maximum internal temp of 125 may be marketed as 'media safes.'

 

[Skippy123]

I use a safety deposit box at the bank; I like that better. Good topic.

 

[WinkHPD]

I own one, it is not bolted down, but it weights 6,000 pounds so I don''t think the bolts will make much difference. (It was the regular safe at my first jewelry store, about six feet tall and much larger than the average home safe... You would have to break down doors and dismantle some walls to get it out of the house, not a quick and easy safe snatching job.) I keep some jewelry in it, lots of documents I don''t want burned, and still use the safe deposti box for most of our more valuable personal jewelry just to keep the risk spread out so that we are not attractive home hostage targets.

No way in heck I would use it instead of insurance on our valuables as then we would not be covered in event of damage or loss of the jewerly while we are wearing it.

Wink

 

[surfgirl]

We have a huge floor safe - like 5'' tall. It''s for other items really, that are bigger, but I keep some jewelry in it as well. It''s not hidden because its just too darn big. We have home insurance and we also have a safe deposit box at the bank. I think I''ll be moving the more valuable papers (originals) to the bank, as well as jewelery I rarely wear. I dont think you need a "value" point where, at that point you get a safe. They''re just nice to have for peace of mind. In the case of a home invasion it''s moot since you''d be "asked" to open it, but its nice for when you''re not home.

 

[asscherisme]

Insteresting replies, keep them coming! I was not questioning a save vs insurance. I would not give up the peace of mind for insurance for things like damage while wearing loss etc. Just curious about the question at hand

 

[widget]

I have a bolted down home safe. The ONLY negative thing about it (and not negative enough to keep me from using it) is that it''s sort of a hassle getting things in and out of it. I''d probably switch my jewelry around more often if it were more easily accessible.

What jewelry is out and being worn every day gets well hidden every night before I go to bed.

When I''m away from home more than one night, I take my stuff to my safety deposit box at the bank.

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