Unlocking the Benefits: Why Every Homeowner Should Consider Fitting a Key Safe

A key safe is a small box installed outside a property that allows anyone with the code to enter a number and retrieve a key for access. This could be for a house or any shared area.

The advantages of utilising a key safe include convenience, time and cost savings, and emergency care. They are widely used by care companies, allowing staff to visit patients who cannot open the door. Accommodation providers use them to streamline client handover, enabling guests to enjoy a more private holiday. Property developers employ them when multiple trades are involved. Some innovative uses we've observed include managing a public notice board and securing a dog field.

These can be bought online, but caution is advised during selection as some are not tamper-resistant. With an SDS drill and some DIY skills, they can be installed for less than £100. Typically, they are manual devices drilled deeply into the brick and come with a waterproof cover. The code can be easily changed and as often as the owner chooses.

If you're not skilled in DIY or are situated far from the location, finding a dependable company to install a box can be challenging. Last year, we struggled to find a local tradesperson, which ended up costing us a lot of time and money. The budget box we selected was defective, and the whole process set us back over £150. Even more frustrating was the delay it caused in our family member returning home. I've been familiar with n-able for a few years, but I didn't realize they not only provide the product but also handle the installation.

N-able fit the Supra C500 Pro KeySafe. This is the police preferred key safe. It claims to be as safe as your front door and was designed with extensive consultation with people using a key box already. In the image below you can see the position of the bolts which are drilled deep into the brickwork, preventing access to all the fittings when the box is closed. The robust structure means the only way to remove it is by opening the box and removing the bolts (you'll need a special drill bit for that too) making this box practically impossible to remove. It can store up to 6 keys.

A member of our team has been using this particular box for more than 4 years for emergency access, storage access, and when they forget their keys. They mentioned that although they don't use it constantly, it's always there to help solve difficult situations or in case of an emergency. For them, it's a "set it and forget it" product until it's needed.

To get your key safe from n-able - COGNEWS sponsor - you can contact them directly by calling:

 0300 3730199 or emailing: n-able@ncsgrp.co.uk

Or you can buy directly from n-able's extensive website:

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Here are our Top 5 Key Safe Uses

Emergency care - In case you or a loved one faces health issues that might require emergency care, quickly opening the front door is crucial and could be life-saving. Simply inform the emergency services about the location of the box and the code.

Returning home from hospital - When coming home with a care package, where people will assist in your recovery, you need to have everything set up before the hospital or nursing home discharges you, especially if you live alone. This often needs to happen quickly as the facility requires the bed space, and your recovery is likely to progress faster once you're home.

Shared storage - If you have a shed or other outbuilding you wish to provide access to, perhaps for a gardener or a neighbor, a key safe offers a convenient way to grant access to that area, whether for a few weeks or for years.

Forgetful Family - Your teen won't have to wait on the doorstep after school if they've forgotten their keys. They won’t even need to call you. Just periodically check that the keys are in the right place to avoid the empty box issue.

Running your business - Need to give a staff member or customer access? A key safe allows you to control access, and you can easily change who has access by simply updating the code.

Unlocking the Benefits: Why Every Homeowner Should Consider Fitting a Key Safe

- created 29.4.25