If you think your valuables are hidden securely in your home, you may need to think again. Burglars are increasingly resorting to technology to lead them to the valuables hidden around the house in locked cupboards and drawers.

There’s been a dramatic increase in the use of metal detectors by burglars. Instead of having to take up crucial time searching the house and forcing open doors and drawers, the detector will lead them straight to what they want. The tech-savvy burglar can be in and out like a surgical strike.

A locked safe can help, of course, but the keys will also be picked up by the metal detector, however well hidden. A better answer would be to have a safe, attached to a solid wall or floor, that’s secured by a combination lock. If the burglar doesn’t have the combination, a metal detector won’t help.

A combination safe could not only save your valuables, it could also save you money on insurance premiums. This may vary depending on the policy or circumstances, but you should certainly bring up the fact with your insurer or insurance broker and find out what effect it will have.

If the burglars are successful and you have to make a claim, you’ll need a current valuation, an invoice or receipt, or a photo of the item to give the insurer’s Loss Adjuster — ideally all three. But, if you invest in a combination safe, it may not come to making an insurance claim.