People are locked out of their house or apartment all the time. 1.9 million New Yorkers are locked out every year, and that’s one single city — imagine that number across the whole of the United States! We’ve all been there, standing outside and fishing for our key in our pocket or purse, only to realize we’ve lost it — or that we never took it with us in the first place. It might be cold outside, or it might just be embarrassing as we wonder exactly what to do. Hiding a spare key is an easy, preventative solution to this, this is why you have to learn how to hide a house key.
Whenever you lose yours, you’ll know where you’ve stashed another and can easily let yourself into the house.
Unfortunately, a spare key puts you at risk of burglars. Don’t place one under the doormat or a very obvious rock by the side of the door — anyone could check there.
Instead, learn how to hide a house key effectively by utilizing these unique ideas. A burglar has much less chance of finding a key in these places!
1. Inside the Cap of a Hose
If you’re fortunate enough to own your own yard or garden, you might well have a hose lying out there to water the plants and clean the car.
This hose, however, could end up being pretty multi-purpose. You can remove the head and gently file down your spare key to make sure it fits in there, meaning you can then stash it for whenever you get locked out.
It’s important that the key is still usable of course, so make sure you file it down enough that it fits inside the hose cap but can still unlock the door. No one is going to suspect that your spare key is in there!
2. A Potted Plant
If you only have one potted plant by the door, setting your spare key out of sight beneath the soil may not be a good idea. Anyone could look down and see the way into your home.
If you have multiple, however, and some provide good coverage, you can pick one to place your key in. Cover it with a layer of soil or make sure it’s well covered by the plant.
Remember which potted plant you chose to guard your key. A burglar is unlikely to want to go through them all, so this should be a pretty safe bet if you have enough of them.
3. Behind the Door Knocker
How thick is a house key? Probably not thick enough that it can’t be hidden by your door knocker!
You can use magnets to attach a key here. Just make sure it’s not going to be knocked off by anyone actually using the knocker, and make sure it’s high up enough that no one’s going to feel it by chance.
Who’s going to think to search behind the actual knocker for a key?
4. Inside a Dog House
Since 68% of Americans own a pet, a dog house isn’t going to look out of place in the yard — whether you actually have one or not!
Dogs make excellent guards against burglars, but even their accessories can help. Hide a spare key inside of a dog house to deter anyone from stumbling across it.
After all, who’s going to want to stick their hand into the home of a potentially vicious dog?
Even if you do own a dog, you can keep the key in their dog house as long as it’s well hidden and secured. The last thing you want is your pup accidentally swallowing the key!
5. Inside Patio Furniture Covers
What else do 68% of Americans have? A home that they own! Or 67.90% do, to be exact.
A home means there’s likely a yard, which means you have a lot more room and opportunity to hide a spare key. If you have any patio furniture, you can cover them and hide the key underneath.
It’s important to ensure the covers have zips. If your yard encounters a particularly nasty gust of wind, it could blow the cover away and leave your key exposed to the world.
6. Switch With a Neighbor
If you still don’t feel safe enough leaving your key in your yard, leave it in your neighbor’s!
Getting a housekey duplicate and hiding it in your neighbor’s yard means that even if someone finds it, it won’t work in your neighbor’s lock — and vice versa for their key in your yard. That’s likely to confuse anyone trying to invade your home, and it’s not probable that they’re going to try every house on the street.
If you’re ever locked out, you can then simply walk to your neighbor’s yard and get your own key. Just remember to return the favor and let them hide their key in your yard too!
7. A Fake Sprinkler
If you have sprinklers in the yard, you can make a fake one to hide your key beneath it.
Although someone opportunistic looking to rob your home might be likely to search around the door for a spare key, they’re unlikely to comb the entire yard. Having a fake sprinkler in the grass with a key hidden beneath it might be the ideal.
The good news is, even if you aren’t an artist, your fake sprinkler doesn’t need to look perfect. Do the best you can and if it looks realistic from far away, it’s unlikely to be inspected up close.
8. Nail It to a Tree
There are many people with an abundance of trees in their yard and often, they hate it. Some people want to get them cut down and simply haven’t come up with the time or funds — they can be a nuisance, especially as the roots can be invasive to the structure of the home.
But they do have one advantage, so don’t go cutting them all down just yet!
If you have a tree in the backyard that is pretty well-covered by the branches and leaves hanging down, pick a spot to nail a key.
Most opportunistic burglars expect spare keys to be on the ground, so while they’re looking under rocks and your doormat, your key will be out of sight.
Just don’t nail it too high and ensure you have a way to pull it off the nail for when you’re locked out! The last thing you want is a key stuck that you can’t actually access.
9. Inside a Fake Outlet Cover
Outdoor outlets are becoming more popular. They’re handy for power tools and yard work, and some people have them in sheds for craftwork too.
A fake outlet could work as your very own house key lock box. Outdoor outlets need to be covered because of potential weather hazards — water and electricity don’t mix, after all — so there’s nothing amiss about covering one.
You don’t need an outlet at all. Find a place on the wall to attach a fake cover (by simply buying one or creating your own that looks believable) and put the key underneath.
Since outlets are pretty common outside, it’s unlikely to appear out of place and you have a perfectly good hiding place for your spare key!
10. In a Birdhouse or Under a Squirrel Table
More and more people want to attract wildlife to their yard. It can be adorable to see birds feeding on what you’ve provided them, or squirrels snacking at the picnic table you set up with seeds and nuts.
Now they’re multi-purpose. You can tape a key to the underside of a table, or put it in a birdhouse.
If you’re doing that, make sure it’s securely attached so that wildlife can’t run off with it. Some larger species of birds will be attracted to shiny things and attempt to steal them.
Imagine being locked out and going to get your key only to find out that a magpie has actually run off with it? That’s the last thing you want.
Never Get Locked Out Again, Now That You Know How to Hide a House Key!
It can be difficult to know how to hide a house key. You need the perfect balance of somewhere that’s easily accessible to you if you should ever find yourself locked out, but won’t be stumbled on by people looking for homes to break into.
Many people don’t bother hiding a spare key for that valid reason of being fearful.
However, with these unique hiding places, there should be no issue. While hiding a key under a doormat may be far too risky for you, unwanted visitors shouldn’t think to snoop in any of these places for a way to access your home.
If you’re having lock trouble that isn’t solved by a spare key, why not contact us for our locksmith services?
