It might seem obvious that there are things in your home that should be kept safe just in case a cleaner, delivery person, or dog walker has the temptation to ‘take a little extra’ for their work.

After all, the majority of thefts occur from people who already have access to your home. But there are some things we just don’t think about until it’s too late! Here are a few valuables in your home that should be locked up and protected.

1. Tax Filing Records and Ownership Titles
Keeping copies of annual tax returns is a given, but think about the information you’re leaving unprotected in a filing cabinet. Your Social Security number, business records, clues about how to easily steal your identity - are all listed on your tax forms.

Similarly, Titles to your vehicles and property can be an absolute nightmare to replace if they’re misplaced or stolen. And in the worst cases, they can even be used to try to claim ownership by a thief.

2. Medications
Painkillers, Cannabis, and maybe some more exotic things are an easy target for ‘friend of friends’, the weekly cleaner, and anyone else with some quick hands. Some things are better kept in a safe than in a medicine cabinet. Particularly if they’re dangerous in the wrong person’s hands or if they have high replacement value.

3. Spare Keys
The extra set of keys for your car, a friend’s place, storage units, and bike locks are expensive and painful to replace. Those extra keys are something you won’t notice are missing until you need them in a pinch.

Outside of the obvious valuables like jewelry, passports, birth certificates, and that nice camera you swear you’ll use more often - consider all the things that can be painful to replace that live in your desk drawer, hidden in your sock drawer, or just lying around the house.

It’s time to lock it all up!