It may be tempting to hide a key within the devices below, but I highly recommend you do not do it. No matter how clever you think you are, the hidden key will be found. You can put the key in a fake rock, under a mat, above the door, in a magnetic key holder for your car, or in a realtor lock as the one pictured below. All of them are a very bad idea however.
First of all, let me explain a little more about the realtor locks above.
They are like having a big "Steal My Stuff" sign on your house. Never use them where they can be seen. Thieves see them, assume the house is empty, and then come back later. If it is empty, what on Earth would they steal you ask? They take the appliances, copper piping, and more. Even an empty house has a lot of valuable items within it.
See those wheels with numbers on them? You can push them aside with a tool to see the notches for the combination. Make sure you never use that type of lock for anything of value. They are practically worthless for security if the thief knows what they are doing.
The above image is the classic. Everyone thinks they are so clever, right? Who would think to look for such a thing? They don't actually have to look even if it is hidden well. I've seen these key holders that look like piles of dog poop even. The people buying them are missing the point, and the point is that your neighbors or a random person walking by will eventually see you use it.
Worse, if you have a lot to steal or are considered a "high value target," a thief will setup a time lapsed camera to watch your property. With it they will get your schedule, all of your habits, and where you hide your keys. They don't need to even be there. They just set the camera up, let it run, come back to get it, and then process the data.
I have very expensive security locks installed on my home. They were hundreds of dollars each. Leaving a key in my yard to make it easy to bypass that layer of high security wouldn't make any sense at all. It's an entirely different topic to post about, but hopefully you have at least decent locks installed on your home.
The default "builder's grade" locks are terrible, and everyone should consider purchasing at least mid-grade locks to avoid easy lock picking, bump keying, and other commonly used tactics by thieves. If you need assistance with selecting locks for your home, please let me know. I will gladly assist you as my time allows.
One of my brother's, who is a master locksmith, can assist you as well. His handle on here is @ligneous!
Finally, if you need to leave a spare key somewhere, leave it with a trusted neighbor. That is usually the best strategy.
well said, basically it is about redundancy and making it as difficult as possible within your means. Make the thief or thieves move on to an easier target.
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Boom, one reputation with one reply being upvoted. :) You're 28 cents richer too! HAHA
Is there a better way to have a spare key that perhaps I have not thought of?
P.S. If you can, come hang out with us in in steemit.chat (that's the web page address) in the #libertyprofessionals channel.
I admin the security channel on there too.
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Agreed, @ligneous
That also gives the neighbor's or passers by another opportunity to spot suspicious movement at night. That's how these thieves get caught; usually it's traversing. Dogs, or 'force multipliers' as @finnian would say, have a better chance of being alerted. There's a good chance of getting chewed up or shot depending on where you go, but we had a rental property that was broken into after being vacant only 3 days - it was empty. But, they managed to steal all of the copper piping (not even nice enough to shut off the water first) and the AC unit. It happens a lot from what the police told us and apparently a cheap entry lock is not enough to deter a theft.
Hope you enjoy Steemit.
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Those "realtors locks" and similar key-safes are often vulnerable to shimming or other bypass techniques. Or just a sharp blow with a nearby hard object due to being made of poor quality material...
One that I see a lot is the "Master" brand ones, with a 4 digit combination. Not only can they be smashed open easily, but they are also vulnerable to a manipulation attack that allows obtaining the combination within a couple of minutes.
As for the "fake rocks" and similar "concealment" devices, they are usually easy to pick out. They usually look out of place, and the area around them will show signs of activity. Some of them can be "spotted" easily at night by simply shining a bright flashlight around - the material they are made of doesn't reflect/absorb light the way the item they are meant to resemble will.
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This is a good post and a good reminder. Upvoted.
Also, don't forget windows. Leaving them open or unlocked is just like leaving the door open. Also close the blinds and curtains while you are away.
Helpful tip for winter: when gone for more than one day, ask your neighbor to drive in and out of your driveway leaving tire tracks in the snow so it is not so obvious the house is empty.
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The driveway tip is a great one! Thanks for sharing it. Yes, I have been putting it off due to wanting to write about other things, but I need to get my windows post up soon. There's a book's worth of material just for windows. :)
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Next item: Install a security camera. Having that blinking red light is enough to slow down 99.9% of thieves.
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Let me know. There's a lot of info regarding cameras. Books have been written just about them. :)
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Every entrance to a person's home should have a Kuna or similar security camera. They are cheap enough, very easy to install, and have a ton of useful features. Mine has a blue light to remind people of its presence. :)
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