It can generally go without saying that nobody really wants to think about their house being a target for a burglary. However, there’s always a chance that this can happen, and it is something you should be wary of.
There are a few things that can make your house more appealing to aspiring burglars, such as having your valuables out in the open, or in terrible hiding places. By knowing where not to hide your precious belongings, you can reduce the chances that anything will happen to your house.
Additionally, it will also increase the chances that nothing of importance will be stolen if someone does happen to break into your house. This is something that just about anyone can appreciate.
Knowing What Burglars Look for
When you know what burglars tend to look for, you will know what to avoid doing. Because the goal of most burglars is to get as much as possible in the least amount of time, there will only be a few set places where they will be looking.
However, this also means that there aren’t that many places they can look, simply because they need to be out of the house as fast as possible. This allows you to still have plenty of possibilities when it comes to hiding your valuables.
1 – Clothing Drawers
Most people would assume that burglars aren’t going to want to go rifling through underwear and other dirty clothes, but they would be mistaken. In fact, the underwear drawer is one of the most common places burglars are going to be searching, as uncomfortable to think about as it is.
This means that you should never, ever store anything other than your clothes in your drawers. After all, burglars aren’t going to care about making a mess trying to unearth anything that isn’t clothing.
Jewelry is one of the worst things to hide with clothing, as it will quickly become obvious that there is something in the clothing. It is notably heavier than the clothes, has a distinct, hard shape, and can make a lot of noise.
Hiding cash is also not very safe, as it can easily fall out of your clothes when the burglars toss everything on the ground. The same applies to storing credit cards or anything else that is small, but valuable.
2 – Bedrooms
Unless your valuables are safely and securely hidden, you probably shouldn’t be storing them in your bedroom. The absolute worst place that you can put your valuables is going to be under the mattress, as this is one of the most common places where people hide things.
Most people assume that a burglar isn’t going to want to disturb a sleeping person, and while this is true, that won’t matter if the burglar is there when nobody is home. The only things you should be storing under the mattress are private items that you wouldn’t feel a significant loss over.
Likewise, you shouldn’t ever store valuables in your children’s bedrooms either. While there might have been a time when this was considered a smart idea, in today’s time, this is one of the worst ideas that you could have for a multitude of reasons.
For one, most children’s rooms have a number of gadgets and electronics that burglars would love to take. These can range from console systems and televisions to tablets and other gaming systems.
Because there are so many potential valuables in a child’s room already, often strewn about on the floor because children don’t know any better, a burglar is not going to have any qualms about spending some extra time in the room looking for as much as they can.
In a sense, your child’s room is already at risk because of the gadgets and electronics in there, making it one of the absolute worst places you can hide something important to you.
Plus, there’s always the risk of your child finding it and moving it to someplace less hidden, simply because younger children might not understand the threat of leaving valuables out in the open.
3 – Bathrooms
Of course, the idea of digging through a toilet tank is one that is disgusting and something that nobody ever really wants to think about. However, when you are trying to make sure that your house is as safe as possible from burglars, the toilet tank becomes quite unsafe.
Many movies and TV shows have depicted people hiding valuables in there, and in real life, people have followed suit, making it a very predictable place.
Similarly, you shouldn’t hide anything too valuable in the medicine cabinet either. Depending on the type of burglars you are dealing with, there is a chance that they might go to your bathroom to try and steal prescription medications.
This would expose any valuables that you had in your medicine cabinet, which is something that nobody ever really wants to have happen.
4 – Refrigerators and Freezers
Many people believe that as long as they wrap up their valuables in a container, covered with a plastic bag or aluminum wrap, their valuables are safe. Unfortunately, this is not the case, especially if you are dealing with smart burglars.
Because this tactic is becoming more and more common, more and more burglars are beginning to search the fridge and freezer for containers that are more than just food.
Fridges and freezers also pose the same risk that medicine cabinets do. Because there is money to be made from selling prescription medications, they will search the fridge and freezer for them. When they are already looking in these areas, the safety of your valuables decreases immensely.
If they notice that something doesn’t quite seem like food in your fridge, then it’s over. An experienced burglar will easily be able to tell whether a package is just wrapped food or if it is something else.
5 – Garages
The final place you should not be storing anything valuable is in the garage. Your garage is home to a number of valuable items already, such as power tools, car parts, and even the car itself.
Because of this, there is a very good chance that burglars, especially experienced ones, are going to want to go after the garage.
If the burglars are already going to be in your garage, then that place becomes one of the worst places that you could be storing jewelry, documents, and anything else that is important to you.
Do not be fooled by the fact that most garage doors are sturdy and hard to break into. If the burglars are coming in through the house, then there’s a good chance that they will find a way into your garage that way.
The only way your garage is a safe place is if there are no windows, and if it is not connected to your house in any way.
What to Remember
Ultimately, you should never leave your valuables out in the open. You should never leave them in places where burglars are known to look.
If you got your ideas of hiding your belongings from a movie, TV show, or game, then there’s a good chance that it’s a bad idea. If you really want to keep your belongings safe, there are a few ways that you can do that.
For one, you could consider getting a safe that is bolted onto the floor so that it cannot be stolen without considerable work. You could also consider putting your belongings in places that nobody would really think to look, such as behind a power outlet or inside a picture frame.
These places are either unconventional, or take enough time to break into that it simply isn’t worth it to the burglar.
By remembering what to do and what not to do, you can ensure that your belongings are safe and sound. This is something that you should always keep in the back of your mind, especially if you live in an area where burglaries are prominent.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.