Things To Consider When Buying a Safe

If you are considering buying a safe, congratulations! You care about your security and valuables and are in the right place! Buying a safe is a significant investment that requires careful consideration. Whether you’re protecting valuable items or sensitive documents, choosing a safe that meets your specific needs is important. Here are the ten most important things (in no particular order) to consider before making your purchase.

Size:

The size is one of the first things to consider when buying a safe. Safes come in various sizes, from small safes mounted to a wall to underfloor safes and larger freestanding safes. Consider what you will store in the safe and choose a size that will accommodate your items.
Many people decide on the size based on what they will store now. But we at Associated Security Solutions recommend one size bigger than you initially planned. This is to better accommodate all your valuables that you may want to store in the future and to not regret not choosing a bigger safe later.

Location:

The location of the safe is another important consideration. Will you store the safe in a closet, garage, or basement? Consider the space you have available and ensure that the safe you choose will fit comfortably in the area. The size and location go hand in hand when deciding what safe you want to buy. You can also consider bespoke safes to fit your required space perfectly.

Security Rating:

Safes are rated based on their ability to withstand attacks from burglars and other threats. Look for safes that have been independently tested and certified by reputable organisations. Independent certification organisations such as The European Fire and Security Group (EFSG), The European Certification Body (ECB-S), and The Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), who are part of the BRE, test and certify safes to a specific grade depending on the level of burglary resistance that they provide. Each safe will have a certification badge indicating where it was certified and what grade it achieved. Insurance companies around the world recognise these certifications.

Look out for the AiS approved purple sticker. An AiS approved safe confirms that the aforementioned independent testing bodies have independently tested these safes. AiS Approved Safes have been approved by The Association of Insurance Surveyors. Therefore, most UK Insurance companies accept the test certificates held by these safes as genuine and an accurate reflection of the security and insurance value rating.

Fire Resistance:

If you’re storing items that are sensitive to heat or fire, consider a safe that is fire resistant. Our graded safes at Associated Security Solutions are fire resistant for up to 60 minutes for paper documents.

Lock Type:

There are several types of locks available for safes, including key locks, combination locks, electronic locks and more. Consider which type of lock is best suited for your needs. Some may prefer a traditional key locking safe with extra keys or a more modern approach with digital to even fingerprint lock. Consider who will use your safe and whom you want to give access to.

Brand / Manufacturer:

This is one of the most important factors to consider before choosing a safe. Choosing the right safe can be pretty daunting, with many options. One way to narrow it down is to decide on the brand/manufacturer and take it from there. Associated Security Solutions is the UK’s leading provider of safes and associated security products. We have been in the industry for over 75 years, providing security solutions for homes and businesses throughout the UK. Our manufacturing plant at Telford is one of the last UK-only safe manufacturers, and our clients benefit from our comprehensive industry research and development expertise.

Warranty:

Consider a safe / brand that has a good warranty policy. Because a safe is built to last, that doesn’t mean it won’t require maintenance from time to time. (Check out our tips and tricks on how to maintain your safe.) There may be instances where you would require the help of a professional in case your safe needs some maintenance. And having an extended warranty period means you can be stress free for a long time. You should be pleased to know that our safes have five year warranty for our branded safes.

Holistic Services:

Consider buying a safe from a brand that not only sells safes but also has safe related services. For example, if you decide to move houses, it is better to have bought a safe from a company with relocation options making the relocation process seamless. On that note, we not only manufacture our own safe, we also have delivery & installation, relocation & removal and service & maintenance options too. Check out our entire list of services here.

Additional Features:

Once you’ve finalised the basics of your safe deciding journey, consider additional features you’d want in a safe. Features such as automatic door opening, light, shelves, lockable compartments within the safe, drawers, watch winders to keep your automatic watch ticking, colour options and more. It would be best to consider these additional options based on how much you are willing to spend on a safe.

Price:

Finally, it all comes down to the price and how much you are willing to spend. Safes can range in price from a few hundred to several thousand Pounds. Consider your budget and choose a safe that offers the best value for your money. The higher the grade you go, the more expensive the safe will be. But with it comes the benefit of your valuables fully covered. Just like with the sizing, we recommend that our customers get a higher grade safe than they initially planned. This is because you will be covered in case you decide to store more money/valuables in the future.

Not able to decide and come to a conclusion?

Consider dropping us an enquiry down below, and a member of our safes expert team will get in touch with you.

Alternatively, you can also call us at 0161 832 2777.