How To Avoid These Terrible Key-Hiding Strategies

7 March 2016
 Categories: , Blog


Look around the exterior of your home and write down about ten places where you can place your spare key. Then, cross these locations out. By avoiding obvious hiding places, you will have a way into your home if you lose your keys without creating the risk that a burglar will get inside.

Places You Should Never Hide Your Keys

Common terrible places where house keys are hidden include:

  • Under the welcome mat

  • Under a flower pot nearby the door

  • Inside a fake rock placed near no other rocks

The worst place of all is within your wallet. If you lose your wallet, not only will the thief find the key, but will also know where you live thanks to your ID.

The Proper Distance You Should Place Your Keys

Never place your key within 15 feet of your doorway. This will be the first place a burglar would look. The farther away from the front door, the better. However, you can always leave a key ring of fake keys near the front door. As the burglar tries to find the appropriate one, he or she will remain exposed and it will be more likely that a neighbor will notice and call the police.

When You Should Use Your Emergency Key

Do not use the emergency key regularly. The key should only be used if you lose your primary key. Otherwise, you will increase the odds that someone will see you hiding the key. Ideally, you should discretely hide your key at night.

Alternatives To Giving Your Neighbor A Key

It's common for homeowners to give a key to a trusted neighbor so they can ask for the key if they are locked out. However, if your neighbor is not always home, you may still need to wait before you are let inside. One option is to ask your neighbor to hide the key outside and tell you where it is. If a burglar discovers your key at your neighbor's house, it is unlikely that he or she will determine whom the key belongs to.

It is difficult to provide a list of good places to hide keys because every home is different. Also, any list of good ideas might be discovered by a burglar and used to locate hidden keys. However, with the use of Velcro or magnets, you may be able to find many good places to hide your keys once you have eliminated all of the bad options. For more information, contact locksmiths like Yearsley's Service LTD.


Share