Best Places to Hide Valuables by Ted Marlett MSW
Have you ever lost something? Did you absolutely remember putting something valuable somewhere and now you cannot remember where you put it? You may be like millions of other people who forget "misplaced" valuables.
Hiding your valuables in the mattress or under your favorite pillow is not a good safeguard anymore. Most thieves know to look in these places quickly. You could keep a safety deposit box at your local bank, but then you would have the hassle of going there often to look at your valuables. You could keep your valuables any number of places outside your home, but then you would be constantly going "other places" to look at them.
The traditional approach to keeping ones' valuables has been around for years. How many times have you searched an old house and found something that was old and valuable? Hiding valuables in your home is an excellent idea as long as the places you hide them is really secret, and kept that way.
There are 10 ideas below where you could locate a "secret place" to put your valuables. These may offer maximum security. The first five are primarily for homeowners while the second five are for apartment dwellers. Some may require some construction to an existing space and other do not.
1. Walls
* Because every room has four walls, and some are hollow, there can be a hidden space behind every wall in every room. We all have fixed solid items on walls. You would have to remove the fixed item and hollow out a space behind it. When you put the item back, make sure you camouflage your work well.
2. Beams
* Ceiling and wall beams have always been a popular architectural feature in homes. Make one a false beam that is movable. Make sure it does not have to support anything. Hollow out an opening in the top or back side and put it back. Make sure you do not make your work visible.
3. Baseboards
* Everyone has baseboard running along the walls in each room. Pick a spot and hollow out a space behind a baseboard and put it back. Make sure it is a short one or one that can easily be removed or it will look obvious that something was going on.
4. Paneling
* Choose a small section of paneling and put something in the ?dead space? behind it. You find it hard to do if all you have is 4x8 sheets of paneling.
5. Mirrors
* Mirrors often have nothing behind them. They offer small spaces to put things. These could be on your walls or on your doors.
6. Furniture
* Furniture has been used to hide things for years. All you have to do is take a piece of furniture and look for a place you can hollow out that would not be conspicuous. A very simple approach would be moldings or any other place you can hollow out and conceal.
7. Bookcase
* A common and easily overlooked place is the base of a bookcase. If you can make the shelf removable or the molding removable you will have a place to hide things. You could use magnets to put the shelf or molding back.
8. Light switch
* An easy and highly deceptive hiding place is a light switch. If you use a real one, make sure the electrical power is turned off prior to making the hollow space. Then put the light switch plate back in place.
9. House plants
* Secret compartments can be built into the plant pot. Make sure you seal your valuables in a waterproof bag.
10. Buried treasure
* The last place has been a favorite throughout the years. Hiding your valuables underground.
When you decide what to do with your valuables make sure you have an accurate map of where you hid them. Without the map you may once again remember absolutely putting a valuable somewhere, but cannot remember where you put it.
Make sure your work is flawless and everything fits together perfectly. Do not tell anyone except members of your own family where the valuables are hidden.
Look for other ways to hide valuables in your home that may be effective for you.
About the Author
Copyright 2006 USA Ted Marlett has been in the home, business and personal safety business for the past two years. He retired from the military after 20 years and has an MSW degree. You may freely distribute this article in electronic form or print if the links, byline and bio remain intact.
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