A quality home security system, secure doors and strong hardware are all part of practice home defense.
However, if a thief manages to get inside, your valuables should be hidden as best they can. Intruders are often looking for “quick wins”. Things that are out in the open and allow them to take them quickly and run before being noticed.
Unless they know they have time, the average home invasion is about 8-10 minutes. This highlights the speed at which most burglars want to have when they’re entering a home. So, concealing things well enough, could equal little loss.
Consider stashing things like:
- Emergency cash
- High value jewelry
- Keys to extra vehicles (ATVs, motorcycles, etc.)
- Personal important documents (titles, deeds, wills, etc.)
In this article, we’ll cover several of the best secret stash containers for your goods in the home, as well as a couple you shouldn’t use.
Best Secret Stash Containers and Hiding Spots for Valuables
Where not to Hide: A Hollowed-Out Book
Hollowed-out books look cool, but they’re too well-known. If you have a prominent bookshelf, it will only take a few minutes to pull them all down and find your stuff.
Plus, most of the book safes out there look old. If you don’t have a collection of retro authors hanging around — this type of hiding spot may not be as good as you think.
1. False household containers
Soaps, food and other common household containers hold little interest to intruders hoping for a big score. That’s why using these containers make great hiding spots. You can either buy pre-made containers made to look like everyday goods or make your own.
2. Dog food container
If you have pets, using the food storage to hide valuables works well. Honestly, it’s probably a temporary solution. If you’re headed out of town;
- Stick valuables inside a small plastic container
- Put it in the food storage
- Pour food on top until the smaller container is completely hidden
Where Not to Hide: In the Refrigerator
Note: Use this one as a fake spot. Many burglars actually know to check here for cash and other valuables.
That said, while burglars may make a quick check of your refrigerator for a wad of money; they are not likely to dig deep and go through all the food in your refrigerator. Using a fake container could do the trick here.
3. In Plain Site
OK, so this is a bit devious. We’ve already established that if someone comes into your home, they want to leave fast.
So, why not give them something to find quickly?
Here’s how:
- Find a decent-looking jewelry box at a thrift store for a few bucks
- Fill it up with realistic-looking, yet fake costume jewelry
- Really sell it with a $20 bill
- Put it in a prominent, but not obvious place (somewhere that makes sense)
Then, if your home is invaded, hopefully the intruder will quickly find and take the bait — leaving most of your home intact and the real valuables safe.