Do you keep a spare key somewhere outside where you,
or someone you trust, could get to it if needed? A nearby neighbor that you trust is ideal. But what if you don't have a close neighbor?
My friend Sharon and her husband moved to a rural
setting a few years ago. The closest neighbors are a mile away. Sharon worried about not having a spare key handy, but she wanted to know that it was somewhere secure and not likely to be found by an intruder.
Under a flower pot or the doormat on the porch was far too obvious, and the hollow fake stone she saw looked just that—fake. Plus she had no other stones to put it with.
She finally opted for a magnetic key holder attached to a back leg of their grill. It is not obvious, but
it is easily accessed if you know where to look.
If the grill hiding place does not work for you, consider one of these ideas:
- Fake or nonfunctional sprinkler head. If you
have a sprinkler system, get an extra head from which you can remove the top easily and hide the key inside. You can buy fake ones made for hiding keys too.
- Fake rock can be a good place if you have many similar-looking stones around it.
- A
Lockbox, preferably in an inconspicuous place. You could also replace your key locks with a combination lock entry.
- On a tree. If you have several trees nearby, put a nail in one (face it away from the house and not at eye level). Hang the key from it.
- Under a loose stone or brick. If you have a brick or stone walkway or patio that perhaps has a loose stone or brick, hide the key underneath it.
- Under a chair. Stick one under the foot of a chair on your deck or patio. (You may have to place something under the other feet, too, so that the chair is level.)
- Inside or under a child’s toy. (Something stationary, like a slide.)
- Inside or underneath a birdhouse. Place a screen inside over the opening so a bird cannot really use it for nesting.
- On your dryer vent. Glue a magnet to the inside of your dryer vent and stick the key to it. (Note: I have a friend who once found a snake skin dangling from her dryer vent. If this might be an issue where you live, maybe the dryer vent is not the right option for you.)
- Inside the dog house is a good place to
consider if you have a dog. Intruders are not likely to risk an encounter with a dog.
- And finally, without a doubt, the most creative suggestion I found was to mound some melted hot glue, let it dry, paint it brown to look like dog poop, and place it in the flower bed, hiding the key underneath. You can also buy fake dog poop if you don’t want to make your
own.
The average burglary takes less than fifteen minutes. Again, a nearby neighbor who you trust is probably the best first solution. Perhaps hiding it in your locked vehicle is another possibility, if you can access your car without having to first access your home. But if you're going to hide it outside
somewhere, make it as hard for an intruder as possible.
