If you have expensive belongings, you probably already have insurance on them in case they are stolen or destroyed. It is always easier to keep your belongings safe in the first place, however. Here are five ways to do so that you may not have thought of yet.
1. Personalize Your Stuff
If your expensive items have your name engraved on them or are marked as yours in some other way, they will be less of a target for thieves who obviously do not own the items. Plus, personalizing your items keeps them from accidentally being mistaken for someone else’s. The more unique your items are, the easier it will be for everyone to remember that they belong to you.
2. Disguise Your Stuff as Something Else
Some items are targets for thieves no matter how personalized they are. When you must have these items out in public, disguise them as something else. For example, you could hide your cash and keys in a fake bottle of suntan lotion at the beach. You could also keep your laptop in a backpack instead of a laptop bag.
3. Do not Leave Large Electronics Boxes by the Curb
Leaving large electronics boxes, such as those from flat screen TVs, by the curb or sticking out of your trash can is a great way to alert neighbors and prowlers to the fact that you have brand new electronics in your home. Rip the box up so it fits in your trashcan, where burglars will not see it.
4. Do Not Advertise Your Vacations Online
While updating your social media profile with your vacation plans is a great way to stay connected with friends, it is also a great way to alert burglars that your home will be unoccupied and your belongings free for the taking. Wait until you get home to post pictures.
5. Keep Your Stuff Locked Up
It only takes a second for a burglar to make your expensive possessions their own. If you must use a laptop while in public, make sure you lock it to the table if you step away from it. Also, keep expensive antiques in the attic or at Extra Space Storage, where your children will not break them.
Expensive belongings are only worth something as long as they are not lost or stolen. Using these six preventative measures as well as common sense will help you keep your items safe and protected from burglars and accidents alike.
