Where to Look for Hidden Jewels and Metals in Houses You Are Emptying
At some point in your life, you might find yourself emptying an old house. The circumstances might be happy (you bought a house or are moving into it, and you want to be sure to conduct a thorough search for treasures that the previous owners hid away). At other times, the circumstances might not be too happy, as is the case when you are cleaning out a house that was occupied by parents or relatives who passed away.
So, where do you look?
In Houses that Have Been Emptied of Furniture
We have written about this topic previously on this blog. But to review quickly, here are the most common places where people hide valuables in homes.
Behind loose bricks in foundations, chimneys, and fireplaces.
Under floorboards that can be pried up.
Behind false wall panels or sheetrock.
Under flagstones or pavers outdoors.
Behind light switches or outlets.
In garages or outbuildings, often behind walls or under cement floors.
Underneath cement or other paved floors.
Behind false panels or drawer bottoms in dressers and other pieces of furniture.
Look in The Following Locations Too
Let’s look at some small and unusual safes that are being sold today to people who want to hide small valuable items in their homes. (Note that we have not previously written about these products on the Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners Blog.)
Tin food and beverage cans with screw-off bottoms. A variety of very realistic-looking cans for beer, soft drinks and even vegetables are now being sold to people who want to hide jewelry, bullion, and other valuables in their homes. The bottoms screw off, valuables are placed inside, then the can is put in a food storage cabinet or even inside a fridge alongside other cans of genuine products.
Real-looking electrical outlets and switches that have small safes concealed inside. These items are gaining favor with people who have jewelry, bullion, and other small valuables to hide. To open them and insert or remove valuables, all you need is a screwdriver.
Safes that can be located behind false closet walls and in other locations. They are popular with individuals who have slightly larger quantities of valuables to conceal. They can be quickly installed and concealed with sheet rock or paneling. An electric stud finder tool can help you find them. Or if you are searching for hidden safes, simply tapping on a wall with your knuckles can alert you to walls that have sheetrock or paneling that was installed to conceal a small safe.
Hollowed-out books. For years, people have been hollowing out books, putting valuables in them, then placing them on bookshelves alongside genuine books. Note that a number of hollow books are now being sold by companies that offer them as hiding places for valuables. So if you are emptying a house of its contents, be sure to examine the contents of bookshelves.
What About Using the Above Options to Hide Precious Metals and Other Valuables in Your Home?
We recommend keeping precious metal scrap and other valuables in a bank safety deposit box instead. Your precious items will be monitored and protected if you do. Plus, the chances of losing them due to fire are greatly reduced.
And if you pass away or become incapacitated, your relatives will know where to look for your most valuable possessions.
And if you find valuables hidden in the places we list in this article . . .
Call our precious metal refiners at 800-426-2344. We are here to test your gold scrap, platinum scrap, silver scrap, and other holdings and issue you a full report of the precious and other metals they contain. And if you decide to, we will process your holdings, extract the precious metals they contain, and pay for your value at today’s high trading prices.
‘If you have gold, silver, or platinum to recycle, we are the first place you should call.