In-house Safe

when the handyman's bro in law (or the niece of the guy who installed the safe) does a home invasion, you'd better make sure your daughter, home alone, knows/remembers the combo

why would anyone want a safe in their home--attracts trouble--keep valuables in a safe deposit box--keep important docs that need to be at home in a fireproof box

I have an Acme safe, but it's large at about 30" high and 25" wide, weighs something over 700 pounds. It's also fireproof rated for, I believe, over 3 hours.

Nice not to have to go to a safety deposit box to get out something you decide at the last minute you want to wear.

Also, peace of mind when traveling.

Everyday, keep most things in locked jewelry drawers built into a closet.

and now you're going to bore us with a listing of the contents. why am i not surprised?

Use empire safe and ask for Gail for purchase and Joe for install. Your daughters will be safe.

Mine is a Sentry 20x25 cube. Fits perfectly inside one of my lower kitchen cabinets, hidden behind canned goods. I chose this one because it was free with my accrued American Express points. It weighs a freaking TON (just lifting it five inches off the floor into the cabinet almost took two people). I keep important papers and a significant amount of cash in it.

Fireproof box is referred to by a different name by thieves. I think they call it a carrying case.

Hunter - LOL!!!

that's why my fireproof box is left open,...so the thief can easily see that the documents it contains are not worth carrying

only reason to have a safe is to focus thieves there, when valuables are hidden elsewhere-- but then, it could serve as a big neon sign that reads "most valuable items here", with, like, a big flashing arrow

and when out of town a safe is truly bad--plenty of time to open it and steal the well advertised goods--as though noone in your building knows your away

but then ph41, you must be really rich, given the time you spend here telling us about your penthouse etc, and, now, all your jewelery. so losing a few pieces probably doesnt matter much to you.

Hey Yikes, I do NOT spend time here telling you about my apartment, (haven't posted anything about it in years, though inonada did), and I certainly don't tell you about my jewelry. The question was about getting a safe, I have one, I like it, and that's what I posted.

"only reason to have a safe is to focus thieves there, when valuables are hidden elsewhere-- but then, it could serve as a big neon sign that reads "most valuable items here", with, like, a big flashing arrow"

Who leaves their safe out in plain sight?

Bolted to the floor in the bedroom closet.
The buyer wanted it so I left it there.

how does that work? where is the nut?

When installing a home safe, any worries about installers coming back to rob you?

Thanks all.

Like most security measures, it is a deterent. If somebody wants it, they'll figure out a way to take it. But having one is a good everyday place to keep some cash, insured jewelry, personal papers from being easily accessible by nanny/ housekeeper etc

rivas: I just used it for a fireproof/waterproof storage place for original manuscripts and documents.
It was surrounded by shoeboxes and couldn't be seen unless the shoeboxes were removed first.

NYCMatt: "I keep important papers and a significant amount of cash in it."

How much is considered a significant amount of cash? Enough for a nice weekend Vegas trip? Enough money to make another person disappear? Enough to make yourself disappear and live comfortably on some island? Just wondering about the thought process behind how much cash people are keeping at home in the age of credit cards/debit cards/ATMs.

Matt keeps enough to cover Christmas tips.

such as they are.

sunday, excellent point. i make sure i have a couple of thousand on hand these days, but that would hardly warrant a safe. my banking arrangement provides me with a safe deposit box for free, so the deeds, will, insurance policies, etc. have a safe place to stay, but if I didn't have that I think I'd just make copies and have them put in a second location.

i can't imagine having jewelry that i'd feel the need to keep in a safe, but that's just me. i'm missing the sentimental gene entirely.

i might like, however, on a bad day to have enough money to make someone disappear, although i'm almost 100% certain i'd never act on the urge.

You don't think anything could push you over the edge on that account?

how much for you?

Like walking in on someone raping my daughter? I have no idea if I'd kill the person. But that's an act of passion. it would have nothing to do with money, or hiring someone to kill.

fair enough, thats an awful scenario.

Hi. Need a safe really for documents and back up media in case of fire and also to keep some bits and pieces and personal documents away from housekeeper, workmen and house guests. Nothing of great monetary value. Any suggestions or recommendations for safe installers vs internet brands one can order appreciated.

columbiacounty
about 15 months ago
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Member since: Jan 2009
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how does that work? where is the nut?

Pretty ironic question.

aboutready
about 15 months ago
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Member since: Oct 2007
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such as they are.

Aboutready, any changes to your safe habits in the past year based on all the changes you made?

Our fireproof safe in the basement, on the floor as recommended, filled 1/2 full with ground water during Storm Sandy. We lost our passports, all our most precious photographs, all our most important papers, and would have lost a rare first edition book if I hadn't sealed it in a water tight plastic bag (which is not the right way to preserve books, by the way), among other things.

I'll never bother with a safe again.

I second ProInNyc's suggestion. Empire has a range of sizes and types. We got an old one that used to be embedded in a wall, but works quite well on a closet floor. You will need them to install and also to move it if you ever change residence, as even the small ones need special procedures to move without damaging the floors.

do fewer renters own safes than owners?

greenberg, are you suggesting that any significant number of renters own owners?

Define significant.

matsui--your circumstances are exactly those where you don't want a safe. with all the people you have going through your apt, if they see a safe, they will think lotto, and they might set you up, or just blab around the building etc.

nothing like talk of the guy in apt 10E with the safe to get you robbed, and/or worse.

make sure you remember the combo when youve got a gun at your head!

Matsui, I agree generally with yikes generally on this issue.

The issue though I have is not valuables per se so doesn't matter. If someone broke into the safe there would be little of value to them. Its more like documents, certificates, personal stuff and backup media that you would want to protect from fire and from people coming into your house.

I do understand the concern and it is something that I think off but I honestly don't think burglary is or will be a problem in my building, and if it is, I wouldn't be targeted because there isn't much of value I have worth anything to burglars - I don't even own a watch and my wife doesn't have much jewelry.

keep a fireproof document box and leave it unlocked--if your apt is burgled, thief will be able to open and see it contains nothing of value to him/her--use locking files cabinets, not because they can't easily be broken open by a burgler, but to show evidence that they've been opened, if opened by someone other than you. prevents a non-thief person with access to your apt from nosing around in your files.

safes alert thieves to the potential that there are serious valuables to be had (and if you dont have valuables, why cause suspicion that you do?). they attract thieves. and if youve a beefy safe, too heavy to move, it increases the chance that a burglar may intentionally enter when you are there, so you can provide the combo. that's no fun.

and beefy safe encourages inside job when you are out of town and thieves can take time to break it open.

serious valuables should be well-hidden in your apt, or, best, kept in a safe deposit box.

Yikes - I have looked for fireproof document boxes and cant find anything that isn't a 'safe'

http://www.thewire.com/national/2014/01/very-strong-man-stole-250-pound-safe/356618/