Reasons to Own a Fireproof Safe

Most people believe the safest place to store their valuables is in a bank safe deposit box. And with high tech security systems that can detect even the slightest movement, it’s easy to see why they believe this. 

There are however a few reasons you will not want to go this route. First and foremost, bank vaults aren’t known to be fireproof or waterproof. If the bank is burnt to the ground there is no way someone can assure you your valuables won’t get burned. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, this can prove to be a serious issue. 

Secondly, you won’t be able to easily access important documents if you need them. You will have to go to the bank, which may not be open, to get access. While it’s okay to keep copies of important documents in a safe deposit box, the original copies should be kept in a safe at your home. 

Lastly, the items in a safe deposit box are not insured. That means if anything should happen to them, it will be at a loss to you. However, when items are in your home they are typically covered by your homeowners insurance policy. 

This means you may receive some sort of compensation for items that are damaged, or stolen, from your home.

What Should You Keep In Your Fireproof Safe?

Now that we know a few important reasons you should own a fireproof safe, let’s talk about some of the items you should keep in it. 

Valuables

Some of the most common valuables kept in fireproof safes include jewelry, coins, watches, and other heirlooms. Anything that you find valuable should be kept in your safe.

Important Documents

Place copies of all important legal documents in your safe. This would include living wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies, and anything else you consider important. Making sure your family has easy access to things such as your living will is vitally important. 

The last thing you want is for your family to have to fight to honor your wishes. If you are the executor of a family member’s will, you should keep a copy of their will in your safe as well.

Other important documents you should keep in your will include vehicle titles, bank account information, investments, retirement plans, original social security cards, a list of family doctors, prescription medications, passports, original birth certificates, property insurance policies, and any other paperwork that you would need to quickly be able to access in the event of an emergency.

Guns

This is probably one of the most common reasons homeowners invest in a fireproof safe. Having a safe place to store your guns not only protects you, but it will protect the ones you love.

How many stories have we heard of small children finding their parents guns and accidentally shooting themselves, or someone else?

It’s more common than you might realize. Storing your guns in a safe can help reduce the chances of something like this happening. 

It can also reduce the chances that a burglar ends up with your guns out on the streets. 

Family Heirlooms

A family heirloom is basically anything that has been passed down by a family member that has died. Some heirlooms have real monetary value, while others have more sentimental value. Either way, all family heirlooms are beloved by those they are left to.

The most common family heirlooms are jewelry and land. These two things tend to be passed down from generation to generation. They also tend to be the most valuable financially. 

While you can’t keep land in a safe, you can keep the deed to that land in a safe. Other family heirlooms that can be stored in a safe include timepieces, recipes, special letters that were written to loved ones, diaries, scrapbooks, books, collections such as baseball cards or figurines, photos, wedding gowns, art, and literally anything else that has been passed down. 

What you choose to store in your safe is completely up to you. The only thing you will be limited by is the size of your safe. If you will be storing a lot of items, make sure you get a big enough safe to accommodate your needs. As a rule of thumb, get a safe that’s a few sizes bigger than what you think you need. This way as you add more things, you will have plenty of space.