Similarly, though, you might be remorseful if you’ve found yourself needing a bigger safe. If you recently purchased a safe that’s smaller than you thought (or your existing safe isn’t quite roomy enough to meet your needs), here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation.

Decide Whether You Really Need a Bigger Safe

First, you need to determine whether your existing safe will meet your needs. What are you storing? Jewelry? Guns? These are small items that don’t necessarily need a bigger safe. But if any of the following scenarios sound familiar, it might be time to upgrade:

• You’ve had the safe in your family forever and it no longer meets your needs.
• You’ve purchased your second or third firearm (or a larger firearm).
• You’ve discovered you need to store a dehumidifier in your safe for your gun(s).
• You have a growing family and a growing number of special valuables.
• You anticipate a need for a bigger safe in the coming years.

Trade In Your Old Safe

Did you know that some safe retailers accept safe trade-ins? While many of our competitors don’t offer this service, we’re proud to accept trade-ins at A-1 Locksmith. Whether you have a smaller safe that you don’t need or you bought one that you can’t return, you can make the most of your safe upgrade experience with us.

Pick a Used or New Safe

When you’re ready to get a new safe, you can either purchase one online or visit a brick-and-mortar showroom. Either way, you’ll have to decide whether a new or used safe is right for you. Used safes have their benefits, but new safes are the better option for some. You’ll also need to decide on the right brand. Browning and Liberty are some of the most trusted in the industry, but other factors like fire rating, security rating, design and size may come into play with your decision.

Have Your New Safe Delivered

The best part about upgrading your safe? You can have a professional handle the delivery and installation. Here are some of the benefits of professional safe delivery and installation when you work with A-1 Locksmith:

• We deliver the safe to the location of your home that you choose, even if it’s upstairs.
• We actually install the safes instead of simply dropping them off.
• We provide bolt-down service on every installation.
• We only use professional safe delivery teams.
• We also provide in-home training before we leave.
• We guarantee 100% satisfaction.

If you’re in the market for a bigger safe, trust the company with the most jewelry and gun safes in Dallas-Fort Worth. Give the A-1 Locksmith team a call today at (972) 284-7500—or stop by any of our DFW locations—and we’ll help you pick out one that’s right for you.

From the size and brand to the type and fire rating, there are several factors to consider when shopping for a safe. Here are six of them.

1. Size

First off, what will you be storing in the safe? Bigger is usually better when it comes to safes, as you don’t want to buy one and figure out you need more room. But it depends on why you’re shopping for one. If you only need a safe for something small, like jewelry or a handgun, a small size will suffice. But larger guns and other items might require a bigger size.

2. Fire Rating

A home fire in the United States occurs every 87 seconds, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). But just because you have a safe, doesn’t mean your belongings are necessarily protected. Make sure your safe has both a fire seal and a certified fire rating of at least one hour. 

3. Security Rating

Just as some safes protect better against fire than others, some safes better protect against burglaries than others. Talk to a professional locksmith for detailed explanations about security ratings, but they range from low-end ratings that can pass a “five-minute attack” test (RSC) up to heavy-duty TL-rated safes that can withstand 30 minutes of attacks with a torch or tool. Oftentimes, your ideal security rating will be based on the value of the items inside the safe.

4. Brand

Just as certain groceries have brand names and generic brands, so do safes. But brands are a bit more important in the security world. Don’t trust your valuable belongings to a no-name safe that doesn’t have an established history. A couple examples of safe brand names that are well known in the industry are Browning and Liberty. 

5. Type

Another factor to consider is the type of safe you’ll be buying. There are several basic types of safes, from fire and burglary to gun and jewelry safes. There are also certain types of safes based on where they’ll be stored, such as floor safes and under-the-counter safes. 

6. Lock

Finally, make sure the lock is easy for you to access and gives you peace of mind. There are basic dial locks like you might have seen in the movies, as well as electronic locks that have their own security ratings. You need to decide if mechanical, electronic or combination mechanical-and-electronic (aka redundant) locks will work for you.

There are several other factors to consider, in addition to the ones on this list. For assistance with buying the right safe to meet your needs, give A-1 Locksmith a call at (972) 284-7500.

Let’s discuss five reasons why it might make more sense to buy a new safe than a used safe.

1. They’re Under Warranty

Warranty coverage is important for high-value items like gun or jewelry safes. When you buy a used safe, there’s no guarantee that it’s still under warranty. If it’s new, you’ll likely be covered for parts and other components that fail—you might even be able to get an extended warranty from the manufacturer as well.

2. They’re Newer

A pretty obvious reason, but a good reason nonetheless. New safes are in, well, new condition. Used safes may have wear and tear, rust or worn-down parts. As such, useds safes usually have a shorter lifespan than new safes. The latter also benefits from the latest technology and advances in design. 

3. They Have Clear Documentation and History

It can be difficult to fix or adjust a used safe without proper documentation and history of ownership. Even locksmiths can have a difficult time with this. With a new safe, however, you’ll be provided documentation and there will be no history of ownership because you’ll be the first one owning it. You also don’t have to worry about lost keys or combinations.

4. There Are More Options

With used safes, your options are fairly limited to what the seller has on hand. Many times, you won’t even find the best safes as a previously used option because people are using them! The good news is that companies like A-1 Locksmith Security & Safes have a large product catalog where you can find the best new home and gun safes, TL and UL rated safes and more from top brands like Browning, INKAS and Liberty. You can also choose the right type and size to meet your needs.

5. They’re Easily Delivered and Installed

Depending on where you buy it from, you may have to figure out how to deliver and install a used safe. With a new safe bought from a company like A-1 Locksmith, you don’t have to worry about this part of the safe-buying process. The A-1 team will deliver and install safes (even upstairs) and bolt them down as well. You can trust that a professional safe delivery team will be handling your new safe and will provide in-home training before they leave.
If you’re in the market for a new safe, browse the selection at A-1 Locksmith and give us a call at 972-284-7500 if you have any questions.

If you’re in the market for a new safe, browse the selection at A-1 Locksmith and give us a call at 972-284-7500 if you have any questions.