Questions to ask before you buy an Used safe
Buying a safe is not a daily activity for most. Often the decision to buy a safe also follows an annoying event such as a burglary or a fire where valuable property has been lost. Understandable, but rushing to buy a safe can also bring surprises that can be prevented. Therefore, let you be advised by a specialist in safes and first go through this questionnaire to make the best choice.
- What kind of property do you want to store safely?
The starting point for choosing the right used safes is to determine what is stored in the safe. An used safe can offer protection for various properties: cash, jewelry, heirlooms, documents, a laptop or back-ups. The value of the properties and required protection determine which safe is suitable. In the case of safes we speak of value retention.
The value retention, also known as the insured value, is a measure of how to distinguish the burglary-resistance of different safes. The higher is the value retention, the higher is the resistance to breaking open, the better the burglar-proof safe. Fire resistance is the other measure of a safe. The safe protects the contents against fire during a 1/2, 1 or 2 hours.
Tip: Consult with your insurer if you want to insure the content.
- How much storage space do you need?
From a few documents and a passport to complete archives or expensive equipment consider well in advance how much space is needed to fit everything in the safe. Also take into account the possibility that in the future there may still be a need for some extra space.
- What does the safe have to offer protection for?
A safe can be burglar-resistant, fire-resistant or both. A fire-resistant safe is not necessarily burglar-proof. The construction of a fire-resistant safe is primarily aimed at keeping the inside temperature of the safe below the critical point for a certain time. Most burglar-proof safes, on the other hand, offer minimal protection in the event of a fire until the contents are damaged. Burglary and fire resistant safes have a special construction and have been tested for both burglary resistance and protection against fire (heat).
- What is your budget?
Consider in advance how much you want to spend on a safe. You should already know the estimated value of the content. This allows you to search specifically for a safe with sufficient value retention. It goes without saying that the cheap lockers offer very limited protection. With safes, in general, the heavier, the stronger. A light vault of a few tens contains little steel and therefore offers less resistance to attack. Keep in mind that there may be additional costs for, for example, a different lock, interior such as a shelf or drawer and having the safe placed and anchored in the safe. You can install it yourself, but lifting a heavy safe without a hold is not obvious to everyone. A good safe is an investment for life if you do it right. Unless you have a built vault options, you can fine move along the vault and anchor again.
