Tricks To Hide Keys
If you’ve ever been locked out of your home, you’ve probably learned the hard way how easier it would have been if you had had access to a spare key. But that costly locksmith bill aside, a spare key is only a safe option if you really know where to hide it.
Go too obvious and you’re making it easy for someone else to get inside your property, too obscure and you’re going to end up tearing up the yard to find it. But with a little creativity, a dash of common sense and some essential inspiration from the Gear Hungry team and you will always have a Plan B. Get ready to unlock our top 10 tricks to hide your keys.
1. Where NOT To Hide Keys
When deciding where to secretly stash your spare there are some places which are absolute no-go’s. These places are a gift to an unscrupulous visitor and are the equivalent of leaving your door wide open. Under the door mat, above the door lintel or beneath that flower pot next to the door are far too obvious and if that visitor is intent on getting inside your home, these are the first places they’ll check.
2. Fake It
Take a totally fake approach to hiding your keys. Your garden is home to all sorts of external appliances so who is to know one of them is not what it seems? We’re talking drain caps, hose nozzles or sprinklers, all great hiding places that won’t seem out of the ordinary. To hide your keys, you will want to pop them into a small, screw-top plastic container first. For a fake drain, simply bury the container in gravel and add the drain cap on top, while for the hosepipe, insert the small container into the pipe end and screw back on the nozzle (making sure you have the hose pipe you actually used stashed away in the garage). And for a fake sprinkler, add an extra sprinkler nozzle to your existing ones in the borders but just use this one to house your spare key.
3. In Plain Sight
Especially if you want to let others have access to your home, especially in an emergency, a key lockbox is a good way to go when it comes to stashing your spare house key. Yes, it will be obvious what’s inside, but a lockbox or keysafe is secure and you can control access. Fix your key lockbox in a discreet but accessible place – inside your porch or on a less visible side wall – and don’t create an obvious passcode. You can also get a Bluetooth-enabled key lockbox so you can control access via your smartphone.
4. The Birdhouse
If you’re lucky enough to have trees in your back yard, then hide your spare key in nature. A bird box is an ideal disguise as it will be hidden high and behind the cover of lower branches. Pop your key into a small plastic container and place at the back of the birdhouse (covered in a little straw) or Velcroed securely to the back of the box. Just be careful climbing that tree to retrieve your key when you need it and watch out for any birds nesting inside.
5. Behind Your Car Number Plate
It’s not just house keys that are easy to lose, those car keys also have a habit of going AWOL.
If you would like to have a spare car key that’s easily accessible, then look to your license plate. Wrap your spare key in some tape to keep it weatherproofed and protected (as well as stopping it from scratching your bodywork), then remove one of the screws holding the plate. Now place the key behind the plate and align it with the hole and tighten the screw until everything is secure and back in its place.
6. Inside A Power Socket Cover
Another good location, especially if you are a gardener or a DIY’er as it will be natural for you to have a couple of outdoor power socket covers around your house. These plastic covers are inexpensive and are small enough to be discreet, as well as being a good way to hide and protect your keys. Simply fit a socket cover where it would be naturally found, ensuring it is securely installed and not at an unnatural level. Now, when you lift the lid, there will be no power socket but your spare key instead.
7. Hide It In Your Vinyl Slides
If you have vinyl slide panels on the side of your house or porch, then you have plenty of places to stash your spare key. First tie a piece filament line through the hole on the key fob then simply slide the key behind the seams on one of the vinyl panels, making sure you choose a slide that is away from and not next to your door. Now tuck the end of the fishing line under the bottom lip of the panel, so when it comes to retrieving your key, you can pull the line to pop it out.
8. Under A Stone
We’re not talking a fake stone here – these simply don’t look real enough to fool anyone – but a stone or brick that you already have in your garden. It may be a brick at the top of a wall or a large stone in a rockery or border – something that is memorable enough for you but bland enough not to look ‘I’m hiding a key!’ obvious. If you can, hollow out a section in the back or bottom of the stone that is big enough to fit a small plastic container with your spare key. Or simply dig out the soil underneath so the stone can sit naturally on top. Now hide your key and leave it, so nature’s grime and muck can cover your tracks.
9. Under The Decking
Beneath a deck or under the house is a great place to hide a spare key. Yes, you may need to scramble on all fours to get to it, but it certainly won’t be seen from the porch.
Simply secure a nail at an upward angle in a dry corner – go for the furthest corner you can – and hang the key, which will naturally fall flush and secure against the wood thanks to the angle of the nail. Under the dog house if you have a pet is also another place to hide a spare key, with added protection from the canine in your life!
10. With A Neighbor
And last but certainly not least if you have good neighborly relations – why not leave your spare key with the dudes next door? You can also look after their spare to return the favor! Or ask to hide your key on their property – so should your key be found, it won’t fit the most obvious house, which is your neighbors. Key lockboxes are also good idea for this ‘key’ swap and also means you can let your neighbor into your house in the event of an emergency, should you not be at home. Now that’s a spare key ‘win-win’ in our books.
Source:
- Hiding Keys – Tips and Tricks – Thrifty Fun
