How many people actually have a fireproof safe in their home? If you don’t have one what could be the reason? That’s an important question to ask yourself as a homeowner or tenant. You should know that fires in the home are quite common. Between 2015 and 2016, there were at least 38,827 fires in various homes across Great Britain. Northern Ireland experienced 889 fires in 2015 alone.
Our possessions might be less important than our own health and safety, or that of our friends, families and neighbours, but we still need to take the right steps to protect our possessions in the event of a fire — just as it’s important to know the duties of an executor of will in the UK. Here are the top household items you should protect in the event of a fire in your home.
1. Passports
Yes, you can replace your passports but it will take time and a lot of money to do so. However, you might have a hard time if the supporting documents you need to replace the passports also perished in the fire. It might be a hassle if there is an upcoming trip yet you can’t replace all the documents in time.
2. Birth and Marriage Certificates
You will need to produce these documents a few times in your life. If you are not careful about their storage or lose them because of a fire, you will have a hard time replacing them. It’s something you don’t need to go through if you keep them safe.
3. House Deeds
They are proof of ownership of your home and the surrounding land. You don’t want to lose them especially when you are planning on reselling your home in the future.
4. Last Will and Testament
Make sure your solicitor also has a copy of your last will and testament such that any loss will be less catastrophic. You also need to keep your copy safe and review it whenever you need to in the comfort of your home, thus making the necessary amends whenever needed.
5. Insurance Documents and Investment Portfolios
Currently, you might have a lot of investment policies and insurance covers including life, home, medical and income protection policies. A few people also opt for car and holiday insurance and many more. You need to store all these documents in a fireproof safe for the best results.
6. Electronic Data Storage Devices
With the digital age, many people choose to store important data, whether personal or business on backup devices. They should also be protected from any fire damage in a fireproof safe. Here, you can retrieve your backups whenever you need them without any worries about fire.
7. Family Heirlooms & Jewellery
You should store your engagement ring, your mother’s wedding ring or your grandfather’s medals in a safe place. Even better, any other jewellery should be stored properly especially if it has both sentimental and financial value. That’s why a fireproof safe will be the best place to store these precious items that don’t need to be on constant display.
8. Family and Wedding Photos
You might have stored a lot of photos electronically but you might have some old photos in physical albums, especially those taken before the digital era. Make sure they are stored in a fireproof safe if you don’t want to lose all those precious memories.
With a fireproof safe, you can store a lot of documents and possessions safely and prevent any devastating damage in the event of a fire. There are many brands of fireproof safes you can choose from so take the time to find the best one that can handle all your treasures to prevent any damage in a fire catastrophe.