We want to protect the things that are precious to us at all costs. This is not a new situation, as for hundreds of years people have been trying to secure what is valuable and precious in various ways. In the past, these safeguards did not look like today's safes, but they were robust enough to significantly protect valuables from theft and thus loss.
When customers contact us and say they are looking for a safe for their house or flat, what often comes to mind is a small armoured cache or case to hide in, for example, furniture. Sometimes they say that they have seen safes in a hotel or guesthouse and something like this will be enough for them.
But are they sure? Are lockers, cassettes or a classless hotel safe a good idea when it comes to securing your home values? Is it worth investing your money and depositing your values in such a solution? There are various models available on the market, it is worth getting to know them and then making a decision.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the topic of home safes. You will find out which safes are worth investing your money in, so that your possessions are adequately protected.
Buying a safe – first steps
The number of burglaries is increasing year on year. They intensify during the summer (holidays) and around long weekends, when many people leave their homes and flats and go on travels. But the reality is that many burglaries happen every day and at any time.
Take a moment to think about your valuables that you have at home. Perhaps there are some savings in PLN or other currencies, binders of important documents or electronic versions of them, jewellery and watches, investment products (gold, silver) or collectibles (coins), works of art.
• How many things do you have that you consider valuable and precious?
• Where do you store them at the moment?
• Are the stored items secured in some way against unauthorised access and potential theft?
• Do you sometimes find things (by accident) that you have forgotten existed?
Now imagine that these things actually go missing, theft occurs. Burglary and theft is a random situation that can happen. That's why it's worth investing in a home safe where you can store these things, lock them up and keep them safe.
We all have items that have material or sentimental significance. More and more people are also storing firearms, but here the matter is simple, because storing weapons in a safe is a necessity and a legal requirement.
Despite our sincerest intentions and wishful thinking, each of us is at risk of a break-in and the loss of things that are valuable to us. And although many times in our work we hear from customers "I don't plan on being broken into" – life writes its stories. That's why it's always worth investing in a safe, because the things deposited in it will not only be more secure (compared to keeping them in a regular cupboard or drawer). A safe not only means security, but also keeping all your valuables in one place, in an organised manner.
Home safes and security
The security of valuables is of great importance. At Hartmann Tresore, we have been dealing with this topic for many years, so we are happy to share our knowledge and experience with our customers and recommend the most suitable solutions.
Valuable items require safes for special tasks, i.e. high-end burglary protection.
How do you choose the ideal home safe?
Here are some tips to help you choose the right solution:
• installation location: Customers prefer concealed safes (wall safes, floor safes, furniture safes or free-standing safes, but suitable for incorporation into furniture). The choice of a suitable location is also important because of anchoring – no installations, including underfloor heating, must run through the wall or floor.
• approvals and certifications: it can't be just any safe, but simply the best safe you can afford. Approvals and certificates guarantee the right level of security.
• security class: the higher the rating, the better the protection. The better the construction of the safe (multi-walled body, thick doors, locking system and fillings used), the greater the resistance to burglary.
• the right size and capacity: the larger the safe, the better. We know from experience that as time goes by, our valuables increase. Choose a model larger than what you think is adequate at the time of purchase.
• suitable locks: which is the best lock? One that you will be most comfortable using. Find out more about safe locks from our blog, such as the article "Safe locks under a magnifying glass. Choose optimally".
Interesting facts about safes
There are times when home safes are still seen as something only available to the wealthiest people but safes have long since 'gone under the radar' and are being bought by people who are aware that it is better to secure their values earlier – with foresight. The security of our values is crucial.
Since safes arouse excitement and are a bit of a mystery, here are 5 interesting and surprising facts about safes:
• The most expensive safe in the world is called 'Narcissus'. Karl Lagerfeld, among others, collaborated on its design and one was in his possession (and that's no mean feat, as only 30 were produced). "Narcissus" is made of steel and covered in shiny, chrome-plated aluminium. The price of such a safe is around €250,000 😎.
• The most mysterious safe is the Granite Mountain Records Vault. It is the world's largest collection of genealogical records stored in a secure vault located in the mountains near Salt Lake City, Utah. The vault is owned by Mormons and safeguards billions of images on microfilm, microfiche and digital media (relating to Mormon families and their family trees).
• The largest safe in the world is the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. It stores more than half a million gold bars weighing a total of 6350 tonnes and several thousand tonnes of gold coins. Part of the vault is open to the public.
• The safe with the strangest contents is The Svalbard Global Seed Vault hidden in a glacier on Spitsbergen. More than 770,000 seeds of various plant species are stored there – they are protected to survive any cataclysmic event.
• The largest office in the safe – Cheyenne Mountain is a US Army base. Its entrance is guarded by a 25-tonne door capable of surviving a 30-megaton blast.
