In recent years, more homeowners have taken practical steps to strengthen their home security. Today, over 82% of global households are using at least one form of smart security technology. Across the entire spectrum of security products, security cameras maintain 51% of global market share. While smart technology plays an important role, there is one simple addition that is often overlooked. A residential safe.
Protecting our homes goes beyond locking doors and monitoring. Within each of our homes there are many precious items; heirlooms, jewelry, not to mention important documentation or digital media. These items are sentimental and, in many cases, financially invaluable. If you’re going to take that final step in securing your home, high-end residential safes will enable you to secure such possessions against any unforeseen event like a break-in or a fire.
Aside from thievery, creating a robust home security plan means protecting your assets from fire damage. Fireproof residential safes are a great way to contain all important belongings or documentation, ensuring that everything will be protected and retrievable.
When looking for a residential safe, its important to choose graded products to comply with insurance requirements, if they apply. According to European Standards, each security product is subjected to a range of tests by Independent Laboratories to ascertain its resilience to physical attack and fire.
Based on the testing results, a grade is awarded. These tests are rigorous, subjecting the safe to ongoing manual attack to determine its resistance levels. Fire impact testing is also extensive as each safe is exposed to the conditions of a real fire. Following these independent tests, the safes will be given a grade from zero to seven, or specifically, I to VII, which will indicate to insurers the safes’ effectiveness and insurance valuation.
What do insurers look for?
Insurers work closely with certification bodies like the ECB to explore several factors. This includes the safes endurance against physical attack and fire, how resistant the safe is to being moved, its structural integrity, build quality and the security of its locking mechanism. Each of these will provide you as the homeowner a full picture of the quality and robustness of the safe you’re looking at. However, when it comes to insurance policies, it’s important to know ahead of time what you’ll be storing in your safe.
Firstly, it’s important to understand the value of everything you’re planning on keeping in there to receive an accurate valuation from insurers. For example, if you store one necklace, some cash, and a bracelet one month, and add three more necklaces the next month, your residential safe is potentially housing a lot more than the insurance value. It’s vital to be realistic and choose a grade and insurance rating that is 30-40% higher.
High-end residential safes should be a key facet of your home security plan. The balance between technology and physical security products will provide a fully rounded security infrastructure that protects you, your family, and vital assets contained within your home. An additional benefit of choosing a residential safe is the peace that comes with knowing where your valuables are at all times.
If you’re considering upgrading your home security, it’s important to identify the items you want to protect, this will enable you to select the appropriate graded safe.
At Chubbsafes, we provide a range of graded certified residential safes that are fit for daily use and maximum protection. Each product, like our VEGA compact safe are built for durability and longevity, having been tested extensively against fire, burglary, firearms and even explosives.
If you would like to explore our full residential safe range, click here. Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss your home security needs, you can get in touch with your local Chubbsafes representative here.
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