If Mr. Bean was going to hide a spare key to his house, here are two spots he’d probably choose: under the door mat, or inside the dead-giveaway plastic rock in the garden.

Don’t be like Mr. Bean. His house is really easy to rob! Instead, take a page out of James Bond’s book and try one these secret-agent worthy places to hide your key. You’ll save yourself from the hassle of getting locked out and the disaster of getting robbed in one fell swoop. 

1. Inside of a Tree

Is there a tree on your property? Then you’ve got a perfect key hiding place. Simply cut out a square chunk from the bark that’s large enough to cover your key. Then trim a bit off the back of the “chunk” so there’s enough space to leave your key in the hollow. Replace the bark chunk, and enjoy your perfectly camouflaged key. Tip: Consider marking the location of the hollow with something like an old nail so that it isn’t too camouflaged and is easy to find.

2. Wedged Between Two Bricks

We’re all for well-maintained brick, but one small chink in the mortar can be good news! Put the brick blemish to good use – if there’s enough space for a key, wedge it in there. Just make sure the key fits in a way so that it’s both inconspicuous and easy-to-remove. Spending an hour trying to dig a key out from between two bricks is almost as frustrating as paying a locksmith to let you back in.

3. Inside of a Wind Chime

Pop quiz: What do burglars hate? Noise! That means that if a potential robber is searching for a spare key, they’re probably not going to go digging inside your wind chimes. Tip: To make this method even more secure, replace the wind chimes’ “knocker” with an entire ring of keys (only one of which actually opens your door). Even if a burglar finds the keys, they’ll have to struggle with the ring of decoys.

4. On Your Car

There are a lot of magnetized lock boxes on the market meant to hide a spare key for your car, but we think these can be used for house keys, too. Think about it: When is a burglar most likely to try and break in? When you (and your car) aren’t at home. There are certainly some flaws to this method (no car, no keys), but it’s still worth considering.

5. With a Neighbor

Okay, this one may not be super-spy clever, but it’s worth mentioning because it is super effective. Leaving a spare key with a trustworthy friend or neighbor means that access to your home is just a knock (or phone call) away. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about a burglar finding it on your property. Again, there are problems – if your neighbor isn’t home, you can’t get inside – but if you have a close friend next door, give this method some consideration. 

Information provided by BrightNest.com.

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