Whether you are renting or own a home, a spare key is a must. What should you do with your spare keys though? How do you keep the key in a convenient but not an obvious place?
The last thing you want is for an intruder to potentially stumble across your spare key and walk right into your home.
In this blog, we cover the best and worst places to keep your home’s spare keys.
The Best Places to Hide Your Home’s Spare Key
Let’s start with the best places to leave your home’s spare key.
Ask Someone You Trust
The first option is to leave your key with someone you trust. This could be a friend or family but ideally, you want to leave it with someone who lives nearby. If there is a neighbor you really trust, leave your spare key with them. Just make sure that the spare key can’t be linked back to your home. This way, if someone gets into your neighbors home, they won’t know they can use the key on your front door.
Use Your Dog’s Kennel
Intruders generally steer clear of any area where there might be a dog, making a kennel one of the best places to hide a spare key. Hiding the key under the dog kennel is first prize. You could also secure it to the inside of the roof of the kennel if you feel it won’t fall off.
Purchase a Magnetized Lock Box
Then there’s your car. A magnetized lock box placed underneath your car is another good place to keep your home’s spare key. The reason why this makes for a secure hiding spot is that most burglaries take place during the day, which means your car probably won’t be at home.
Select a Fake Key Holder
When you think about fake key holders, a rock might spring to mind. However, there are a number of other options available too, a fake sprinkler being one of the more popular choices. Naturally, you should choose a key holder that fits in with your home’s surroundings to make it less obvious.
The Worst Places to Hide Your Home’s Spare Key
Next, let’s look at the spots you shouldn’t place any spare keys.
Under a Welcome Matt
This is one of the first places someone will check for a key. What’s more, if there is more than one key on the keyring, it will raise the matt, making the location even more obvious.
Inside a Flower Pot
A flower pot could potentially be a good hiding spot but not if it’s the flower pot next to the front door. Again, this is one of the first places an intruder might check. Placing a spare key inside a fake rock within a flower pot could work, depending on how natural it looks.
On Your Person
Carrying your home’s spare key around with you is never a good idea – it’s too easy to lose. This includes placing your key inside your wallet or in your purse. If these items are stolen, you could end up losing more than just your banking cards.
If you need any assistance with spare keys and duplicates, contact us on (305) 846-9360.