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In many cases, what we keep inside a high security safe at home, are items that shouldn’t actually be there. Large sums of cash or non-inventoried valuables for example, should be kept in a bank account or safety deposit box, while other items such as guns or jewelry, are best suited to a high security, fire resistant safe.

To help you determine what should and shouldn’t be going in your high security safe at home, we’ve compiled a short guide:

What should you store in a high security safe at home?

Anything that you consider to be of value to you, and that you don’t want a thief to get their hands on, can (and in many cases, should) be stored in a high security safe. However, other items of significant value, such as a large sum of money, should be kept in a bank.

Some of the items that definitely should be kept hidden away behind lock and key in a high security safe, are social security cards and passports, insurance policies, your last will and testament and ‘power of attorney’ documents. This means that they’re kept ultra-safe and secure at all times, but you can still get easy access to them as and when you need to.

Should you have precious items that are not necessarily worth anything to anyone else, but which you wish to keep safe and secure, such as old photographs or camera negatives, you should place them inside well sealed plastic bags to reduce the risk of water damage before placing into a high security, fire resistant or fireproof safe. Small amounts of emergency cash can be stored inside a safe at home, but as with the items previously mentioned, it should be placed inside a resealable plastic bag first.

What should you take to the bank?

Large sums of money belong in a bank, and items such as the deeds to your home, birth certificates and car titles should also be stored in a safety deposit box at the bank.

Also, because bank vaults aren’t susceptible to extreme temperatures or magnetic interference that could erase data, computer media items such as USB’s or external hard drives should be stored inside a safety deposit box.

Where should you keep your high security safe at home?

Think carefully about what you’ll be storing inside the safe before you decide where to place it, as if you’ll need to access the items inside with relative frequency, you won’t want to make getting to it, too difficult or time consuming.

It’s important to understand that not all safes are the same, and each type offers varying levels of protection. While a high security safe does exactly what its name describes, safes with an electronic lock, for example, may be damaged by high moisture levels or humidity that can cause the lock to fail, and leave the items inside, vulnerable.

Talk to your local licensed locksmith or safe specialist about the best spot to place your high security safe, and if in doubt, about what you should and shouldn’t be storing inside it, too.