Your grandparents probably talk often of the “good old days” when everyone knew everyone, there was a real community spirit, and crime was pretty much non-existent. While it was normal for them to be able to leave their homes unlocked under the assurance that they’d never be the victims of a break-in, that’s sadly not the case anymore.
According to the Office for National Statistics, burglary in England and Wales decreased in 2019 by 4% – a pretty poor decrease, which hardly inspires hope that we might be on our way to seeing an end to residential property crime. And we’re still making it too easy for burglars to break in, with some of us forgetting to lock our doors, and others leaving spare keys in obvious locations.
If you have a spare key hidden in what you feel is a “clever” location, it might be worth reconsidering leaving it there. Take a look at the top places that burglars will check for house keys, and see if yours falls into any one of them…
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Doormat
It’s just so obvious! Yet so many of us still leave our spare key under the doormat, whether in a one-off, just so the kids can get in while I’m out situation, or on a full-time basis. The key under the doormat location is so common, it’s the first place that burglars will check if they’re planning on breaking and entering.
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Rock
You know that random rock some people have sitting just next to their front door? That’s known as the key-hiding rock. Whether it’s fake (you can buy hollow ones on Amazon) or real, it stands out like a sore thumb, especially to a burglar. Avoid at all costs.
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Plant pot
It’s another obvious one, although you can sometimes pull it off a bit better if you’ve got a garden situation going on close to your front door. Still, burglars will check under plant pots for keys, because they often come up with the goods.
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Mailbox
Only if you’re fancy enough to have a mailbox that isn’t actually attached to your door, that is. Hiding your spare key inside the safety of your mailbox might seem like a good idea… until a burglar pokes a magnet or a stick inside and retrieves what now belongs to them.
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Porch light
If you’ve got an outdoor light, it usually has a little ledge behind it that’s perfect for storing spare keys… or so you might think. Considering it’s a top location for burglars to check for a simple way to break into your home, give it a miss.
Getting a spare key cut
If all this has brought out the feelings of guilt for a different reason, it’s probably because you’re currently the owner of a grand total of zero spare keys. When you’re not hiding them in obvious places, spare keys can come in useful for all number of reasons: when you get locked out, when your neighbour pops by to water your plants while you’re away, to let a family member in late at night… Consider getting one cut with manual key machines – just make sure you look after it!
