Home Safes: The Pros and Cons

Home safes come in many different shapes and sizes and serve many different purposes. The strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, pros and cons, are a little difficult to define definitively because each owner will have a different reason for having one. In this article I offer the pros and cons from my perspective, as an owner of home safes. So let's get started.

A few years ago a friend of mine came home from being out to the movies with his family to find that what was once his house, had become a burned pile of ashes. Sadly, a fire had ruined not only his house, but everything in it. Nearly all of his family's worldly possessions had been consumed, including important financial documents, his valuable stamp collection, precious family photos, and other things that could have been protected with one of the home safes designed for just such an occurrence.

Destruction of important valuables by fire is a fear most people share. People talk about what they would grab quick if their house caught fire. Usually it is things like photo albums, sentimental keepsakes, maybe some important documents or other easy to grab valuables. None of us know when disaster may strike so it is obviously best to be prepared as much as possible. Home safes are not designed to be absolutely fire proof, but many of them are designed, and proven, to be effective in high temperatures for long enough to allow protection from fire. Pro number one: home safes can protect from fire.

Another pro about home safes is the protection they offer from theft of valuables. One of the best types of safes to use at home is a floor safe. By their very nature, these offer security. They are in the floor, so are easy to conceal. I'm no thief, but I assume that something hidden is harder to find than something in plain sight. Pretty sharp, eh? These home safes tend to be small canister type safes that are designed to only hold a small amount of items. You can purchase larger ones, but they are more difficult to install. If you have the chance, installing a floor safe is best to do during new construction. They can be placed directly in concrete, or secured to floor joists. Installing at this time allows you to install a larger safe which can then be covered with a rug or whatever.

A third pro is the protection of fire arms from children, something that is very important in today's day and age.

As for the cons of home safes, I can only think of one. They are not absolutely impervious to fire or theft. This lack of 100% protection is just part of the deal. Like many things in life, we simply do our best with what is available in the circumstances we find ourselves in. Manufacturers work hard to design, build, and test the safes they sell. Some do better than others. If you decide to buy a safe be sure to find a reputable company that stands behind the home safes they sell. Companies like Liberty, Browning and Sentry Safes even offer a lifetime warranty.

When it comes to home safes, you get what you pay for. After you get the best safe you can afford, fill it with things to protect, and lock the door, you'll rest easy knowing you've done everything you can.