Have you recently found yourself locked out of the house? It happens to the best of us, and it only takes this happening once before we begin to look for places to hide a spare key for just such emergencies. The trouble is finding a safe place to keep it. You'll want a spot that only you can find, otherwise you compromise your home security. Finding a safe place to hide your spare key is not as difficult as you might think. The trick is to find a place that is a bit out of the way and not obvious. Here are a few places to try.

The Dog House

What do burglars hate the most? Dogs.They are loud and they are unpredictable, the two things a burglar should not be. Let Fido protect more than your house and give him your spare key. Attach a nail underneath the eave of his house and hang one there. Just make sure it can't be seen. 

With a Neighbor

If you trust your neighbors, consider keeping a spare house key at their house. That way you can retrieve it quickly and there is no worry that an unscrupulous criminal will get his hands on it. Not comfortable giving your neighbors free access to your home when you are out? Here’s a simple solution: hide your key on their property. Place your spare key in a fake rock and tuck it in your neighbor’s bushes. Even if a burglar finds it, they will think it belongs to your neighbor’s house and not yours.

In Your Car

Keeping a spare house key in the glove box of your car can be a good idea. There can be a problem with this, however. If someone steals your car and any paperwork in that glove box has your address on it, they will know exactly where to go to let themselves into your home. One way around this is to place the key in a sealed envelope and on the outside of the envelope put something like “Mom and Dad’s house key” or “Aunt Julie’s emergency key.” This can help throw off a potential burglar, making them believe the key belongs to someone else.

In an Outdoor Shed

Do you have a shed or garage in your backyard? Consider hiding a spare key in there. With a variety of nooks and crannies to use, you can easily find a good hiding place that is unique and hard to find.

Hiding Spots to Avoid

We all know that the worst places to hide a spare house key are under the front mat, tacked to the underside of the mailbox, in a flower pot or inside of one of those fake rocks strategically placed near the front door. The simple fact is that anywhere that you might think there is a key is a bad place. Burglars know the best hiding places, so be sure to make yours so unique no one else could possibly think of it. Here are some other hiding spots to avoid:

• The top of the door frame or window frame: This is one of the first places burglars look.
• Anywhere near the door: Burglars know that people are lazy and want to get to that spare key quickly so they will check out all of those nooks and crannies on the porch, bushes and nearest the door.
• Metal accessories: It’s easy to snap a magnetized key holder onto a watering can or other metal accessories in your yard or on your porch. It's so easy in fact that burglars expect it and will check for them. 
• In your purse or wallet: Remember, if your purse or wallet is stolen, your license has your home address on it, giving a burglar both your address and a key to your home.

Consider Keyless Locks

If you are one of those people who can not seem to keep a hold of your house keys, it may be time to consider installing a keyless entry system.  Contact your locksmith at Pop-A-Lock to determine if this new high-security style system is best for you.