Safes come in all shapes and sizes, with many different approaches in how they are built and designed. Heavy vaults represent the pinnacle of domestic fortification, however, this highest level of security does not suit everyone's needs or budget. One of the most effective tools in home security is secrecy. The theory behind this is that if a thief cannot find, or does not notice, your safe then it's at no risk of being broken into.
The simplest type of hidden safes are hidden diversion safes. Diversion safes are lockable containers that are designed to appear like a common household object. Rather than appearing to be a moderately secure locked box containing valuables, your hidden diversion safes will instead appear to be... peanut butter. No, that's not a joke! You can buy diversion safes that look and feel like soda cans, light fittings, wall sockets, spray cans, rocks, and yes, even peanut butter. Most of the safes available are pretty good imitations of the original product and are not likely to be discovered during a robbery. One of the better varieties are hidden book safes which are virtually invisible when placed in a full bookcase. How many times have you come home to find a burglar making himself a sandwich or sitting down in the lounge room with a good book?
If you're willing to spend more, or you require something a bit more robust, then you will need to consider hidden wall safes. These are probably more like what you expect from a safe. Electronically activated combination keypad safes are becoming cheaper and more widely available, however, these tend to be flimsy compared to the solid walled, conventional, mechanical safes that have been made for years. The more you're willing to pay, the more anti-theft security features these have. The simplest way to get into such a safe is to know how to listen for the right combination while manipulating the dial. More expensive models should resist this, and depending on just how far you're willing to go, can even have measures to resist oxygen-acetylene torches and even oxygen cutting lances.
If your thief is that determined, however, there's only so much you can do. By investing in hidden walls safes homeowners eliminate this problem altogether provided their choice of hiding spot, and the quality of the concealment job, is good enough.
For the apex of home security hidden safes that are custom built to rooms are a final option. These are quite literally a concealed vault built into a room or unused area of the house. Homeowners with large gun collections may be interested in this option. There are several companies that are entirely devoted to retrofitting rooms as hidden safes, including fortifying the inside of the room itself, installing a very heavy duty door and finally taking care of the concealment job too. Entrances can be placed behind pegboards or bookcases and disused or new rooms can be used for the safe itself in addition to "dead space" such as beneath stair ways.
