How to Hide a House Key

House Keys

While nobody plans to lock the front door with the house keys still inside, it does happen. Hiding a key in a safe place outside your home can keep you from the cost of replacing a broken window or a visit from a locksmith. Hiding an extra key under the doormat is frequently done, but there are plenty of other hiding places for your keys.

Instructions

1. Hide a spare key someplace in your yard. Place it under a large flowerpot. You could also bury an extra key. Place the key in a small, plastic storage container. Bury it a few inches below the surface. Choose an area that will be remembered, such as a corner near a fencepost.

2. Ask a neighbor to keep your spare key in her home. Do not include any identifying information with the keys, such as your address!

3. Purchase a hide-a-key rock. This item has a hollow place to store a spare key. This works best if the fake rock is placed with a number of real rocks to make it less noticeable.

4. Purchase a key vault and place it on your fence or in your garage. The key vault often has a number code that is entered to open the vault. You could place your key vault in a neighbor's yard. Allow him to place his key vault in your yard. When installing a key vault, it is a good idea to choose a spot that is not in plain view from the street or your door.

5. Place a spare key in the glove department of your vehicle or in your wallet.

6. Replace your keyed lock with a key-less lock so that a key is no longer necessary. Key-less locks use a 4 to 8 digit security code to unlock doors.

7. Create a wind chime made out of old keys. The more keys used to create the wind chime, the harder it will be to tell which is your actual spare key.

Tips & Warnings

• Never include your address--or other identifying information--on your spare keys. If they are lost, a thief knows exactly where to go!

• If you lose your house keys, change your locks.

Resources

• Fake Stone Key Hide-A-Way
• Key Vaults That Have Security Codes
• Keyless Door Locks