In the guide below, I will take you through several creative ideas on where to hide a key outside your home.
Have you ever wanted to allow your friend into your house when you are not around?
Or have ever locked yourself out of your apartment? Then, you know having a spare key for your home/apartment is without exception a good idea for any homeowner.
Although it may present a clear-cut security threat, it can as well help you gain access to your house in case you misplaced the primary key.
A spare key can save you and your family from been disappointed when you lock yourself out.
With a few creative ideas, there are several places you can securely keep your key to enable you and your family to have easy access to your home.
Nonetheless, some key hiding spots are too evident for anyone to guess.
For instance, it’s obvious when an unwanted guest visits you and finds the house locked they will try and look for the key under the doormat or a plant pot making those spots the last place to keep your key.
(Read more on how to hide a trail camera at home for security: 10 hacks to implement )
16 Creative Ideas On Where To Hide A Key Outside Your Home
When sourcing for a place to hide your key, ensure it a secure and not a prominent spot but not so much hidden for you to remember.
Below are several unique places where you can hide your spare keys outside your home.
1) Fake Sprinkler
If you have a garden that you frequently water with water sprinkler, then a fake sprinkler will be a deal-breaker for you.
The fake sprinkler hey holder looks very alike to the real sprinkler, making it the perfect place to hide your spare keys and of course some cash.
The fake sprinkler is affordable and straightforward to assemble.
The only thing you need is around, small plastic container, a hose nozzle, and some hot glue to secure the parts together.
Once completed, conceal it under the ground leaving out the top portion exposed—the hide A key sprinkler set can be purchased online to fool your neighbourhood delinquents.
2) Nail The Spare Key To A Tree
If your backyard is full of trees/forests, then the idea of nailing a spare key to a tree will work for you.
This design of hiding the key does not require much effort. All you need is to pick a tree a few meters from your house and drive a nail through it.
Always ensure to drill the nail on the part facing away from your home.
can cover the key with paint or any other substance to safeguard it from rust.
It is sporadic, even unheard of, to see someone walking around trees in the backyard looking for a spare key.
3) Invest In A Bird House.
For nature lovers, a birdhouse will be an ideal place to hide your keys.
Placed and concealed up in the trees, a birdhouse is an exceptional place to hide that spare key.
It’s not easy for a criminal to go searching for keys up there since it’s not something in the open and easily accessible.
A criminal will need time to go looking for the key up there.
A small plastic container to keep your keys inside is all you need and then place the container back to the birdhouse.
4) A Thermometer/ Temperature Patrol.
Temperature patrol is a very skilful and smart way of hiding a spare key.
Not only can you use this thermometer to hide your keys, but also you can use it to measure the temperature in your house.
The thermometer holder has the capacity not only to hold a single key but two keys.
Tape your spare key at the back of it and then mount it where you are comfortable too.
5) The Doghouse
The doghouse is one of the secure places you can hide your spare key.
The key can either be hidden inside the dog’s house or beneath the doghouse.
By placing the key inside the doghouse, merely means the dog wills safeguard the key.
On the other hand, to avoid the key from rusting while you place it beneath the doghouse, ensure the house is a little bit raised from the ground.
You can place the house on a piece of wood. Suncast dog house is our recommendation.
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6) The Vinyl Siding.
Other than decorating your house and protecting it from the advanced weather conditions, vinyl siding is a distinctive solution for anyone trying to figure out where to hide a key outside your home.
Vinyl siding is a relatively easy way to hide away your spare key for easy access by your family members.
Slide your key into the rifts of the siding and ensure you place it somewhere strategic where you can remember.
Since removing it later out of the parting might be tricky, ensure to tie a fish wire on the keyhole leaving only a small portion exposed-enough to grab and not too obvious to be seen.
7) A Fake Drain Cap
A fake drain cap is an effortless and DIY way of hiding your spare key.
A resealable container and a drain cap are all you need to achieve this hack.
First, you need to place the spare key into the resealable plastic container, and then with a screw, you fix it into the drain cap.
Once firmly fixed, you can go ahead and bury the container in the gravel with the drain cap noticeable.
It will take a genius to detect that is not a regular drain cap.
8) Fake Dog Poop.
A pile of dog poop will be the last place anyone would think of to look for a house key.
You can purchase the ready-made dog poop online, or you can make it yourself at home through the below steps.
- Get yourself hot glue and fabricate a large heap from it and then let it dry.
- Once dry, cover the glue with brown paint.
- Then affix a plastic pill bottle with the key inside to the coloured glue
- Finally, conceal the poop under the soil.
9) The Wind Chimes
Wind chimes are a very strategic and accessible location for hiding your spare key.
Other than acting as a strategic place to keep your spare keys, wind chimes can act as an alarm.
The ringtones from the chime will alert you immediately in case someone tried to reach it.
The noises from the wind chimes will keep thieves away for they do not want to be caught on the wrong side of the law.
10) The Key Lock Box.
Almost the size of an iPhone, a key lockbox is an uncomplicated storage garget which you can either attaché on the wall or the door handle.
Lockboxes can only be accessed via a combination of a 4-number code.
Just like any other lock, the key lock boxes vary extensively in terms of size, resistance, and the combination pad.
11) Hide It Using The Car License Plate.
If you have a car or trailer whether stalled or still in service, then you have a great spot to hide your spare key.
The vehicle’s number plate at the back is a very great spot as long as you remember to unscrew it in case you need to sell it.
All you need is to unscrew your number plate at the back, place your tapped key and then screw the number plate back.
12) Attach It To A Door Knocker.
We all know the purpose of door knockers in our homes.
Yes, it is used by our visitors or guest to alert us they are on our doorsteps.
Because of this presumption, it is elementary to hide your spare key behind the door knocker.
Attach some magnets at the back, and the magnets will help to hold the spare key then fix the knocker back to the door. One such recommended door knocker is the Hillman door knocker.
13) Inside A Brick
Do you have any structure around your house made from brick? If so, that should be an excellent hiding spot for your spare key.
Look for a brick that is different from the rest, then drill a small hole to fit your key.
14) Inside The Power Meter Boxes.
Many homes have a power meter box located on the outside.
Due to technological advancement, the power bills are no longer read manually from the house.
This means nobody should be seen walking towards your power meter box expect the family members.
The power meter box then becomes one of the right choices you can hide your spare key.
Just tape the key and hang on the inside. Ensure no wires are exposed as they may be dangerous.
15) Keep/Hide Your Spare Key With Your Neighbor.
Even though we may not trust our neighbours, am sure we cannot luck even one of them who is different.
You can go the extra mile and request your neighbour to hide your key in their property too.
This way even if anyone was to come across the key, they will not be able to establish immediately to which house do the key belong.
16) Use Of Smart Locks
Smart locks are the only guaranteed means for you not worrying about having a spare key or been locked out of your house.
Though somewhat expensive than the traditional locks, a smart lock raises your home security.
For anyone to access your home, you will have to provide them with some access code which you can delete once they leave the premises.
Through a smart lock, you can monitor whoever tries to access your house. They usually give alerts.
One of such recommended lock is the Ultraloq U Bolt Pro.
Final Thoughts On where To Hide A Key Outside Your Home
Just the way you are trying to figure out on the creative ways on where to hide a key outside your home, burglars are also coming up with tricks to counter that.
Hiding of spare keys requires creativity. The spot you are hiding the key should be secure, less obvious to spot, and easy for you to remember.
Regularly remember to keep on changing the hiding spot.
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