The Best Places to Hide Spare Keys
You should always have an extra key to anything important if not more. The chances of losing one or forgetting it when you really need it are quite high. Just ask the millions of people who lock their keys in their cars each year.
Having a spare key is a good practice, but where should you put it? The key needs to be readily accessible if you need it, but not easily found by others. This limits the places to hide your keys, but we have a few suggestions.
A Friend or Family Member
Do you have someone near you who can hold the spare key for you? They should be quite trustworthy, of course, but having someone outside the home with a key ensures that they can get inside during an emergency. This is useful if something happens to you, if you’re out of town and need to check something in the house, or if you’ve forgotten and locked yourself out.
Ideally, this person should be within a few minutes drive from your home. You don’t want to have someone travel for hours just to get you a key. Often, a good neighbour is the perfect solution.
A Lock Box
Mini safes designed for keys will allow you to store your extra key safely outside your home or even your vehicle. They’re small enough that you can place them on a car but large enough to be easy to use. They require a key code to get into, so only those who know the code will be able to enter it.
Inside Furniture
Do you have patio furniture? Most of the pieces designed for outdoor use have hollow legs. If you pop off the bottom of the leg, you can slide a key inside and replace the bottom. This is a much better choice than many others, which are easily guessed.
Never Hide Your Keys Here
Some of the most common places to hide a key are actually the worst. Most burglars know about these spots and will quickly scan them to see if they can find a way into your home. These bad hiding spots include:
- Under a fake rock
- On top of the doorframe
- Under the doormat
- In your mailbox
- Under a plant
Your home will be free for the taking if you use these hiding spots.
An alternative to hiding a spare key is simply to install a keypad door lock so you just need to type in a code to get in. Everyone in the family can have a different code, so you know who entered the house and when.
Whether you need a spare key or want to install a new lock, Campbell and McGovern Locksmiths can help.
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