Home Safes – Here’s Why You Need One

Home Safes – Here’s Why You Need One

Your home and the personal property inside are your most valuable assets. If the unexpected were to happen, give yourself peace of mind by knowing your personal possessions have an extra layer of protection by placing them in a home safe. 

Keeping a durable safe inside your home is one of the best ways to ensure your valuables, personal belongings, and other important documents inside remain secure in the event of a burglary, fire, or natural disaster. But buying a safe that is water, fire, and/or theft-resistant can be quite a monetary investment.

If you are questioning whether it’s “worth it” to purchase a home safe, here are some important factors to remember.

You’ll have quick access to important information

If you need cash or important documents like your Home Warranty, you won’t have to jump through any hoops or wait to get the information you need. All of your important information will be in one place that is quickly accessible to you and your family.

Your important items will remain safe

In the event of a disaster, there may not be time to grab all of the items you would like to bring with you. With a home safe, no matter the occurrence, your important possessions will remain secure.

You can also use it for firearm & weapon storage

If you keep weapons in your home, you can rest assured knowing that they will be locked away in your safe, out of sight and reach from your children and any guests (wanted or unwanted). 

 

What Kind of Safe Should I Purchase?

Not all safes have the same functionality. Before you purchase a safe of your own, do your research on what will work best for you and your family. If you live in a flood or wildfire-prone area, be sure to invest in a safe that protects against water or fire. If you chose to use your safe for weapon storage, remember to find a safe that protects against humidity.

Home safes also come in many different sizes, with the average home save being 1.2 – 1.3 cubic feet. If you have an area of your home that you know you would like to place keep your safe (out of the eyes of an intruder) be sure to purchase a safe with the correct dimensions, so it will fit properly in your space. 

The size of your safe should also take into account what you will keep inside of it. For example, if you are storing multiple family heirlooms, along with all of your emergency documents and a full emergency kit, you may want to invest in a larger safe.

Here are some examples of what you can keep in your home safe.

Items to Keep Inside Your Safe

Personal Documents – Birth certificate, passport, social security card, marriage license, vaccination & medical history, tax returns

Important Information – Passwords, health insurance information, legal documents, wills, death decrees, immigration paperwork, & external hard drives

Money & Bank Information –Cash, bank account numbers, checks, credit cards, bonds, stock certificates, & precious metals like gold or silver

Home& Auto Information – Insurance information, contracts, warranties, permits, deeds, & titles

Weapons – Firearms, knives, bows, & ammunition

Jewelry – Expensive necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, diamonds, gemstones, & engagement or wedding rings

Spare Keys – House keys, deposit box keys, car keys, garage door openers, & neighborhood facility keys

Heirlooms – Trinkets, photos, & items from childhood or passed down from generations

Emergency Information- List of family cell phone numbers & addresses, family disaster plan, emergency kit,&  home inventory

Owning a safe is one of the easiest ways to make sure your personal property stays protected. Save yourself worry and stress by investing in a safe for your home today – your future self will thank you.

First responders- you help keep us safe all year long; let us help you keep your valuable possessions safe too. Click here to enter to win one of THREE Liberty Safes filled with 5.11 Gear courtesy of California Casualty! 

DISCLAIMER: Contest terms and conditions apply, see page for details. 

 

 

This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.

Protect Your Home and Family – Know It. Do It.

In the US, home break-ins occur about every 18 seconds. That’s pretty alarming. Not only can a thief steal your belongings, they can rob your peace of mind leaving you and your family feeling violated, scared and even angry.

By taking the time to educate yourself and following some simple precautions, you’ll be better prepared to protect your family and home from a break-in ever occurring.

 

Know it: A security system may prevent a burglar from even attempting to break in.

Do it: Have a security system installed and monitored – and display the yard signs and window stickers you are provided.

 

Know it: Thieves sometimes rely on the cover of night, but most burglaries happen between 10am and 3pm while many people are at work or school.

Do it:  Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed back. Consider getting motion activated security. Leave on a TV or radio. A barking dog can serve as a great deterrent to thieves – while you get to enjoy a wagging tail and a wet nose when you arrive home.

 

Know it: Burglars are often familiar with your neighborhood or daily schedule.

Do it:  Varying your routine will make it harder for the bad guys to tell when you’re not home.

 

Know it: Signs that you’re on vacation or out of town for an extended period can make your home an easy target for burglary.

Do it: Put your mail, newspaper and deliveries on hold. Have a trusted friend or neighbor watch your home. Put indoor lights on timers. Some police departments offer an out of town home watch. If your local authorities provide this service, be sure to sign up several days prior to going out of town. Be vigilant about what you and your family post on social media.

 

Know it: 34% of burglars enter through the front door. Another 30% take advantage of unlocked windows or other unlocked doors.

Do it: LOCK YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS! Keep your garage doors closed, even when home.


Know it:
The top three things a burglar is looking for are cash, prescription drugs and jewelry but don’t doubt that these criminal opportunists will take anything they can get their hands on. Unfortunately, this often includes your identity.

Do it: Don’t leave valuables, cash or items that can be used for ID theft in plain sight or hidden in obvious places. Keep an up-to-date home inventory with a record of serial numbers from electronics to aid in filing police reports and insurance claims. Be sure to have an identity theft protection and recovery service if burglars get access to your personal or banking information.

We can’t stop all criminals, but California Casualty is here to protect you with quality auto and home / renters insurance with exclusive benefits not available to the general public. Every policy also comes with free ID theft protection.

 

Sources for this article:
https://www.iii.org/press-release/vacation-bound-use-these-five-prevention-tips-to-protect-your-home-against-burglars-while-youre-away-070312
https://www.safewise.com/blog/8-surprising-home-burglary-statistics/

 

5 Things Your Home Insurance Might Not Cover

You worked hard, saved your money and bought a home. Now you want to protect the largest investment you have ever made with homeowners insurance. You’ll sleep better knowing that your insurance will help you rebuild if there’s a fire, tornado or a tree falls onto your home. What you may not know are the many things it might not cover. Your sweet dreams of protection could turn out to be a nightmare because you don’t have the coverage you thought you did.

Here are five things not covered by most home insurance policies:

  1. Earthquake and land movement. As landslides and earthquakes have become more common in many states, many people are surprised to learn that earthquake or land movement damage is not covered by standard homeowners insurance. You need to purchase separate earthquake and landslide insurance protection.
  2. Floods. Multiple surveys have found a majority of homeowners and renters thought their property insurance protected them from flooding; it doesn’t. If a river overflows its banks or storm surge sends tides into your home, you’ll need to purchase separate flood insurance, provided primarily by the federal government. Keep in mind there is a 30 day waiting period before any flood policy can go into effect.
  3. Sewer backups. The sludge can do serious damage and make your home unsafe until it’s properly cleaned up, but it’s not covered under most homeowner insurance policies. Your insurance company can provide a special endorsement to cover sewer or sump pump backups. What you may not know is that homeowners are responsible for the maintenance of sewer and water lines through their property up to the sewer main, and many cities and utility departments will deny responsibility for most sewer incidents.
  4. Maintenance issues. Insurance companies can dispute payment of damage or injuries if you fail to repair a broken step or other obvious hazards, or for mechanical breakdown of an appliance. In most cases, you will also need a special rider to cover food that might be lost due to a power outage or failure of a freezer or refrigerator.
  5. Expensive jewelry, fine art, firearms, musical instruments, furs and collectables. Many people learn after a fire or tornado that their precious items only had minimal coverage. You’ll need special scheduled personal property coverage, often called a “floater,” to make sure they are protected for their full value.

And, if you have a swimming pool, trampoline or certain types of dogs, you need to call your insurance company to make sure you are protected. Many insurance companies are starting to exclude them from policies or refusing to insure homes that have one or more of these.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) also warns that as many as 60 percent of America’s homes are underinsured because owners:

  • Didn’t update insurance after remodeling or adding on
  • Only purchased enough insurance to cover the mortgage
  • Underestimated costs associated with updated building codes
  • Didn’t factor in building material inflation in replacement costs

Another important step many homeowners fail to take is to do a home inventory. Nobody can predict when a fire or tornado might strike, but you can make sure your possessions are properly protected. A survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found 60 percent of homeowners have not documented all the things they own. What does that mean to you? Completing a home inventory can speed up your claim and help you determine how much coverage you need. The Insurance Information Institute has created an easy to use home inventory brochure. Items to include are:

  • Electronics
  • Personal care items
  • Jewelry
  • Art
  • Kitchen items
  • Furniture
  • Carpeting
  • Beds and linens
  • Holiday ornaments
  • Lawn and yard equipment and tools

Pin It on Pinterest