When was the last time you heard a news report about a burglar breaking into someone’s house to steal leftover paint, an old ladder, or some rusty tools? Chances are you have never heard that on the news and there is good reason for that – it doesn’t happen. Sure, once in a while a garage will be broken into and a car or some high-end items will be taken, but for the most part garages are left alone whenever a criminal decides to break into a home.

Most everyone, including thieves, have seen or heard of the safes designed to look like beer cans, books, or wall power outlets. Thieves know these exist and know what subtle differences to look for when breaking into a house. You may think you hid your gold coins well, but you would be surprised at just how obvious your “hiding place” is to a professional burglar. Wall safes and fire-proof boxes aren’t much better than a fake soda can in the fridge for hiding your belongings, and that’s why you need the to know the best place to hide valuables in your home.

A typical garage is a hodge-podge of tools, cleaning products, toxic chemicals, tools and garden equipment, auto supplies, and who knows what else. If it’s difficult for you to find what you need, imagine a thief being confronted with the same mess? That’s why I think the garage is the best place to hide valuables in your home; who would ever dig thru everything in the garage to find a hiding space? Here are some ideas for where to hide valuables in your garage:

• An old paint can. Growing up, my garage had about 10 different cans half-filled with paint. Clean out the inside of one of old cans, leaving the outside dirty and covered with paint splatter, and put your items inside. Put the can in with all the other paint cans on the shelf.
• The bottom of a tool box. I have 5 tool boxes, each packed full of assorted tools. I could empty one out, put some valuables at the bottom, and then re-pile my tools on top. A burglar is not going to take the time to empty each tool box you own.
• A light fixture. A light fixture over a work bench won’t raise any eyebrows, so install a fake one like this to store some valuables in.
• In the insulation. My garage has insulation that is out in the open, meaning I have access to all of it. I could cut could a small hole in an obscure piece, put a bag of valuables inside, and fasten it back up with duct tape. There is duct tape all over my garage, so this wouldn’t look out of place.
• A fake safe. I don’t like the idea of using fake safes inside the house, since they look kind of obvious, especially in an incorrect location. A fake safe designed like an engine degreaser wouldn’t even be seen by a burglar walking through your garage.

While there are tons of places you can use, and everyone has their own favorites, the best place to hide valuables in your home is the garage. They are often full of dusty junk and toxic products, so burglars will rarely spend any time in there looking around. They may grab something obvious out in the open, but they are not going to dig thru the shelves checking all your paint cans. Make sure you tell another member of your household or a trusted friend where you have items stored in the garage, as should something happen to you someone should know that there are valuables hidden in your home in various places.

Where do you hide your valuables? Do you have a favorite spot that we could copy in our own homes?