Last Updated on January 10, 2023
A safe is a great way to keep your personal products away from thieves. We’re here to help you improve your home security by upgrading where you keep your valuables, so people are less likely to find them when entering your home. If you’re looking into home security options and are wondering how to hide a home safe, we have created this handy guide to help you find the best spot in your home.
Once you’ve purchased a home safe, it’s time to find the best room and places for these hidden safes. Below are some of our most recommended areas to keep your valuables safe in the event of a burglary. You’ll also get peace of mind knowing that you’re using some of the best hiding spots and techniques to store your valuables.
Where Can You Hide Your Home Safe?
Under Stair Treads
Hide a safe in a hidden drawer on the stairs. This is one of the best places to hide a safe because nobody will even imagine that there’s room to store anything. And, if you no longer decide to store your safe in this secret hiding place, you can always use it to store household goods and accessories.
View this post on Instagram
In the Floor
Floor safes are incredible for deterring thieves; you could store your safe within the floorboards, so no one knows it’s there. A safe hidden in the floor isn’t an obvious place for burglars to investigate, reducing your chances of getting important items stolen. However, the installation process can be time-consuming and messy, as you’ll need to cut a hole in the floor. This may not be an option if you live in a rented home.
Once placed in this area, you can add a rug or piece of furniture over the area, making it more difficult for burglars to access.
If flooding is a major concern, which we understand it might be, opt for a floor safe that has water protection.
Behind a Secret Mirror
Secret mirrors are created to incorporate safe concealment into their design.
View this post on Instagram
Most people have this household item already around their home, so it makes perfect sense to utilize its advantages. A secret mirror looks like an ordinary home accessory but is specifically made to disguise a hidden safe. In fact, burglars won’t know that there’s anything behind it. In fact, you could always add multiple secret mirrors to your master bedroom for several hidden safes.
However, make sure that you have not left any signs of modification to alert thieves there may be a hiding spot.
Use Any Household Item
At this point, you might be thinking that trying too hard can make a burglary more intrigued, and they’ll eventually find the hidden safe. Therefore, we recommend camouflaging a hidden safe with everyday items, such as a large book, inside of an old TV, or within a flowerpot.
One of the biggest benefits of this type of hiding spot is that it perfectly blends into your home. Therefore, you don’t need to invest a huge portion of time and effort installing anything special.
In a Cat Litter Tray
One of the last places a burglar will look is inside of a cat litter. Simply place your home safe inside of the tray in your home. Burglars won’t even think twice that there are valuables inside of this item. Just make sure to empty out the cat tray and clean it thoroughly before placing a safe inside. Alternatively, purchase an entirely new tray solely to use as a hiding place.
You can buy cat litter trays with a domed roof for easy concealment.
Inside an Air Vent
Another of the best hiding places to hide a home safe is inside an air vent. Fortunately, you don’t need a real air vent for this, as a false product will work, and it’s easy to install. Simply cut out a small section of the wall between two studs and place the wall safe in the gap. Then, fix an air vent cover over the face. You can even purchase a false electricity wall outlet, which makes it appear even more realistic while making it a secure hiding place.
In a Wall
It’d be difficult to not mention hiding a safe in a wall. Wall safes are a classic, and there’s a reason for this: they are easy to place in a cavity and provide excellent privacy and security for large valuables. If you choose to put photos over the wall safe, don’t make it obvious by only having one picture in the middle of the wall. Instead, hang several paintings to make it look less obvious.
On the other hand, you might want to consider a wall-mounted safe behind heavier home appliances, such as an oven or fridge. This is great if you don’t require regular access to the safe and keeps it well out of the way of burglars. Alternatively, consider using built-in shelves or a hidden door to deter people from knowing that there’s a safe hidden behind.
Within a Book or Food Packet
Keeping a safe within plain sight can actually make it seem too obvious to a burglar that a safe is present. However, keeping a home safe within a hollowed-out book seems safer than within a large unassuming box.
You can purchase a book specifically for this purpose, and many online retailers have an appropriate size. Alternatively, purchase a new book, or use an old one, and cut the pages out. Then, place your home safe inside. This obviously only works for smaller items such as passports or documents.
Alternatively, use an old cereal box to hide valuables or place a safe inside.
View this post on Instagram
Fake Plumbing Pipes
Create a secret compartment inside of fake plumbing pipes and insert valuables or home safe inside. All you need for this is a PVS pipe that you might already have lying around the garage. Simply unscrew the pipe and place your documents, cash, and other possessions inside.
Store in the Kitchen
Keep your home safe in the kitchen where it’ll blend in with various appliances and devices, such as an oven, microwave, and more. The more colours and patterns that are on display, the easier it’ll be for the home safe to blend into your home’s surroundings.
However, don’t keep your safe on display, as this could entice burglars. Instead, store it in the wall or inside of a cupboard. That way, if a burglar decides to look inside your cupboards, they’ll likely miss disguised safes.
Tips and Tricks for Improving Your Security
One of the first places intruders look is in a master bedroom, including in a drawer and closet. These are the most popular places for storing valuables. Instead, improve your security by storing the safe or items in places that are hard to get to, such as the attic, inside the garage (where they’ll need to perform another break-in to gain access), or on the floor.
Finally, another tip on how to hide a home safe is to create a decoy for intruders by purchasing a jewellery box and placing less valuable items inside. This will make a thief believe that there aren’t any other pieces of jewellery to take from your home. Alternatively, you could keep a small safe just inside of your closet and fill it with a small amount of cash. It’s likely that the person will think that this is the only cash lying around the house, and they’ll then leave immediately.
Keep Your Home Safe Hidden
Keep your important papers, precious items, cash, and personal information away from a burglar or someone you don’t know. Now you know how to hide a home safe, there is really no excuse to leave it in plain sight.
What are your thoughts on our above hiding places? Let us know your opinions, along with any new hidden safe ideas or a space you recommend, in the comments.
Amy is a U.K.-based writer and editor with a penchant for helping consumers find the best home products for their needs, as well as providing easily digestible guides for living better at home. Her dedication to her work means she can usually be found elbow-deep in research or hunting down samples of the latest and greatest on behalf of her readers.
An avid DIYer herself, Amy’s passion lies in teaching others how they too can achieve their dream homes by tackling some of those pesky projects themselves! Whether it’s building furniture from scratch or turning an old dresser into a coffee table, Amy is always happy to share what she knows about making your house feel like home without spending a fortune.