Investing in a safe for your Bay Area home can be one of the smartest things you do not only to protect you from a robbery but to also save all the important documents in case of a natural disaster in your Blackhawk home.  One reason that East Bay homeowners should definitely invest in a safe is due to the high risk of wildfires and flooding.  One way to make sure that you are prepared is by putting these ten items in a fire proof safe.

  1. Passports & Birth Certificates. These are two items that would be hard to get replaced and should be kept in a safe to avoid identity theft after a robbery at your Danville home.
  2. Current insurance policy and agent contact. Whether it is a natural disaster or robbery having a copy of your current insurance policy with your local Bay Area insurance agents contact number on it will come in handy. You will need to access this right away particularly in the event of a fire.
  3. CDs or External Hard Drives. Putting external hard drives with family photos on it will make sure your memories are kept safe and make sure those memories are not lost forever. Something that I strongly recommend is taking photos of valuables around your Bay Area home and putting them on the locked up external drive to ensure that you have proof in the case of theft or damage. Along with family photos, you can put copies of any other important documents on the hard drive. Photos are something that are irreplaceable and that is why it is extremely important to keep digital copies of them on a hard drive that is secured and locked away.
  4. Financial papers. Paperwork related to your income, taxes, outstanding debts stocks and bond certificates, deeds and titles of the homes in the Bay Area that you own are examples of items that should be placed in your safe. If you are ever displaced from your East Bay home due to natural disaster you may need copies of these documents to request government disaster relief. Keeping your financial documents in one place also makes it easy for when you decide to refinance your Bay Area home with your local Danville loan officer as all will be required.
  5. Safety Deposit Box Keys. Keys are so small and easy to misplace. The safest spot for your safe deposit key is not on your keyring but in your Bay Area home safe. If it is on your keys it could get lost or stolen. By putting these valuables in your Walnut Creek homes safe you will always know where it is and know that it would be protected against theft or natural disaster.
  6. Jewelry. Jewelry is something that is always high on the list for theft especially in the Lafayette neighborhoods. If you have valuable jewelry make sure to keep it locked away in your safe. Many of these items would be hard to replace especially if they are family heirlooms. Make sure that you get the jewelry appraised and have copies of the supporting paperwork in the safe.
  7. Firearms. Guns are another item that is high on the Bay Area theft list. Keeping firearms locked up ensures that they will remain safe and in your possession. It is also important to keep firearms locked up to keep them out of the reach of children. There have been too many cases of accidental shootings involving children due to the unsecure locking of firearms.
  8. Prescription Medications. Storing your prescription drugs in your Bay Area home safe will ensure they won’t be accidently ingested or misused by a family member or guest. To ensure there is no misuse keep one weeks’ worth of pills out and put the rest in the safe. It is important to note that all expired or unused medication should be disposed of properly. You can call your local Danville, Alamo, or San Ramon pharmacy to find the best place to safely dispose of them.
  9. Sentimental Items. This can be different things to different people. Family heirlooms are a great example of items to put in the safe. Not just jewelry passed down but items like stamp collections, rare silver, or anything that is unable to be replaced and has great amount of personal value to you.

Cash. Cash is something that is not used as much as credit cards are but having some cash out is a smart decision. You should keep the cash in your safe. A major catastrophe or national emergency could prevent you from being able to withdraw cash from your local Bay Area bank so it is always smart to keep some to hand.  A safe is the best place for your cash, burglars know the common hiding spots in a Danville house or San Ramon home like under the mattress and in your sock drawer.