No matter how well you hide your belongings, once a burglar is able to get into your home, your items are at risk. These are the 18 hiding spots thieves will always check first.
Entryway Drawers & Cabinets
Time is of the essence for burglars, so they will want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and they may stick to searching areas of the home which are close to exits, in case they need to make a quick getaway. This means the porch and any storage spots near the front or back doors will be high on the list of priorities.
Bedroom Closets
Experienced thieves will turn a closet inside out to find cash or jewelry boxes and may even resort to looking through pockets of coats, etc., for loose bills. If you do decide to hide your valuables in the closet, experts recommend a little deception and placing them in boxes deliberately labeled as unappealing items to robbers (think boxes labeled ‘old newspapers’, ‘family photographs’, ‘magazine subscriptions’, etc).
Window & Door Areas
This could be windowsills, shelves, key boxes, and other nooks and crannies that may contain cash, keys, or other valuable items.
Dresser Drawers
Thieves won’t run the risk of missing out on cash or jewelry/watches, etc., so they will rifle through vanity draws and even makeup bags. Many thieves assume this is where gold and silver jewelry will be kept, so don’t prove them right.
Under the Mattress
Believe it or not, this is one of the first places thieves look – and they won’t limit themselves to just the mattress in the master bedroom. Obviously, if you are home when the burglar/s set foot on your property, they’re unlikely to risk flipping the mattress with you on it, but it’s worth bearing this in mind if you go out of town and don’t hire a house sitter.
Portable Safe
Safes are only auspicious items if they’re attached to a wall or floor. Portable safes might seem like a good investment, but burglars will just take the whole thing and weld into it later on. If you do wish to invest in one, make sure it is attached to your home or is heavy – thieves won’t bother with something that infringes upon a quick escape.
Medicine Cabinets
This may seem bizarre but thieves have a habit of looting medicine cabinets to sell prescription drugs on the black market. While this isn’t a huge deal, as you can go to the pharmacy and get a refill, it is important not to store valuables hidden in old medicine containers. While it may seem like a genius hiding spot, thieves will have hit the jackpot if they make off with your pharmaceuticals and a valuable item.
Freezer
Again, it may seem like a lightbulb spot to store an emergency stack of cash or anything else, but be mindful that burglars are sneaky individuals and this is one of their first go-to spots. If you’re limited with hiding spaces in your home and the freezer is one of your only options, try and outsmart the robber by stashing the valuable inside a box of frozen food (be sure to protect it with shrinkwrap if it’s vulnerable to moisture – chances are the thieves will pull everything out of the freezer and it will defrost, so be mindful of water damage.
Office Drawers
Office drawers often contain valuable information, such as passports, bank statements, and other items you’d rather not fall into the wrong hands. Again, a little trickery is in order. It is wise to keep valuable paperwork inside files with incorrect labels, such as ‘car tax info’, etc.
Vases
If you’ve ever wondered why burglars make such a mess when they rob a home, it’s because they’re – quite literally – leaving no stone unturned. It’s much quicker and easier for them to ransack breakable items and see what treasures may be lurking than it is to go through each one and gently feel around for a surprise hidden item.
Kitchen Storage Containers
Many homeowners think they’re one step ahead of home invaders by hiding valuables inside a tea caddy or an old cafetiere, but unfortunately, when burglars head into the kitchen, any kind of container is the first place they look – closely followed by the cutlery drawer and then the freezer.
Liquor Cabinet/Wine Cellar
Thieves are opportunists, so if they can’t find anything of much value (such as cash or jewelry), they will likely take what they can find – and alcohol is one of those things – especially if the thieves in question are kids looking to loot some booze in the first place – don’t make them feel they hit a double-whammy by also stashing something important there too. Your $40 bottle of Scotch you can replace, a family heirloom… not so much.
Suitcases
This is especially an issue if your suitcases are in obvious places, such as a closet. Many homeowners like to use luggage to store items (valuable or otherwise) as they often feel it is a good way to make use of space, as well as hiding precious items – unfortunately, it isn’t, as thieves are onto this scheme.
Behind Picture Frames
Many of us like to have spare cash lying around the house in case of a rainy day, and one of the go-to spots is to stash it behind picture frames. While this is a pretty clever idea that may surpass a less-experienced burglar, chances are most thieves will spot it.
Underwear Drawers
When thieves target a bedroom, one of the first places they’ll look is the underwear drawers – and nope, they’re not after your tighty-whities – they’re looking for jewelry boxes or envelopes of cash.
Shoe Boxes
Shoeboxes have become a go-to place for ladies to store jewelry – especially those with a large collection. Failing that, if you store expensive sneakers or designer shoes in their original boxes, a thief might take off with them in order to sell them. Remember, it’s not just the obvious items thieves are after.
Shed or Garage
Sheds and garages are popular thief hot-spots because they will be on the lookout for tools, bicycles, or even cars – but those who have been in the game for a while may think to have a nose around for other items. Any valuables hidden away in these locations should be well and truly disguised (for example, in a box labeled ‘baby clothes’, etc.).
Electric Box
Electric boxes may seem like a great spot to hide that rainy-day stack of cash, as well as keys and other smaller valuables, but unless your power box has a key (which is kept elsewhere), keep valuables out of there.
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