It has happened to most people at one time or another in their lives. The key that they thought they had in their coat pocket or purse is sitting on the kitchen counter and they have just exited their home and made sure the door is securely locked. Dread and panic sets in. The cost and hassle of breaking into the home through a door or window is not something anyone wants to incur.
That’s when a hidden key to your home becomes a priceless asset.
That asset can turn into a liability if the key is easy for a thief to find. While home and property configurations differ there are a number of savvy solutions to the challenge of where to hide a spare key where a burglar won’t find it.
As locksmiths, we have seen it all when it comes to hiding places and we know what works.
Clever Ways to Hide a Key
Hiding the key in a common object in your yard is an obvious solution. The only thing to consider is that you shouldn’t put your spare key under an object in your yard where it would be easily found, like under that cute cat statue next to the front door.
While fake rocks which double as spare key holders have been around for decades, today they really resemble the real thing. Fake rock spare key holders are relatively inexpensive, retailing for about $7 to $10 on Amazon.com.1
Since most people have at least a few rocks scattered around the yard, a fake rock is a good choice. If you want the rock to be undetectable to a thief make sure that the rock fits in with the landscape in your area. A rock that looks like molten lava wouldn’t be a good choice unless you live in Hawaii near a volcano. A rock that looks fake is also as bad a choice as putting your key under the welcome mat or on the frame above the door.
A clever idea is to buy a fake sprinkler head which doubles as a spare key holder. The sprinkler head key holder retails for about $6 on Amazon.com. There are also a host of garden decorations that double as spare key holders including a cute little red cardinal garden statue, a turtle garden ornament, and a frog spare key holder. There is also a thermometer which doubles as a key holder.
Think Outside of the Lock Box
If you don’t want to spend any money on your spare key hiding place, a very clever idea is to make a spare key holder out of a pinecone and an old medicine bottle.2
Take the old medicine bottle, place your key inside it, snap the plastic lid and affix a pine cone (using glue or a glue gun) to the opposite end from the opening. Bury the medicine bottle, with the pinecone placed above the soil level, in an area where it won’t be disturbed, such as a flower bed. If you can’t find a pinecone, you could use this same technique to hide a spare key under any number of objects such as a rock or a lawn decoration.
Another idea is to tape or glue the key to the inside of the cap on a deck post.3 Hanging your spare key on a cup holder hook attached to a board on the underside of your wood deck would work, too. Just remember not to put that spare key close to the door where a thief might look for it.
It takes just a bit of creativity or a few dollars to select the best solution for your particular situation. The time you spend placing that spare key can be so worthwhile when that “oh, no” moment strikes and you can’t get back in your home.
If you are one of the two-thirds of homeowners that never got around to putting a spare key outside your home, don’t despair. If you get locked out of your home, call your local professional locksmith. They will be able to get you back in your home!
Proud and Dedicated Michigan Locksmiths
Peace of mind is what our locksmith company wants for its clients, and we have been serving our local communities with the best in residential locksmith services for more than 35 years. When you call us here at Action Locksmith, you are getting a locksmith that you can trust, has vast knowledge and skill, and is always ready to assist. Whatever your door lock or security issue, we’ll take care of it.
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1 Spare Key Holder
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=spare+key+hider&crid=2F6B39PJN5KSX&sprefix=spare+key+%2Caps%2C2464&ref=nb_sb_ss_pltr-data-refreshed_1_10
2 8 Genius Ways to Hide Your Spare Key So No One Will Find It by Lauren Smith McDonough, 10/4/2017
Link: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/g4754/how-to-hide-your-spare-key/?utm_campaign=mgu_ga_ghk_md_pmx_hybd_mix_us_17703649415&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&slide=8
3 Clever Life Hacks: 10 Creative Places to Hide A Key Outside 7/7/2024
Link: https://www.hometalk.com/diy/entryway/hide-a-key-outside-44611189