The weird and wonderful places Brits hide their valuables
Metro Bank, the revolution in British banking, has delved into the secret hiding places of the UK’s most prized possessions and uncovered a treasure trove of clandestine locations.
Almost half of Brits (47%) - that’s 24.1million1 - say they believe the safest option is to store their valuables in and around their home. However rather than being concealed in top-secret hiding places, to a burglar’s delight, when it comes to Brits’ homes, filing cabinets and drawers (26%) were found to be the most common place for people to stow away their important possessions, followed by a safe (19%) and in third place a wardrobe (18%).
| Place | Percentage of Brits | Number (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| In a filing cabinet/drawers | 26% | 13.3m |
| In a safe | 19% | 9.8m |
| In a wardrobe | 18% | 9.2m |
| In the attic | 8% | 4.1m |
| In a sock drawer | 7% | 3.6m |
Others have been a little more daring - some may even say ingenious - when it comes to concealing their possessions. The more odd and obscure locations include over a fifth (21%) of Brits admitting to knowing about or hiding their own treasured belongings inside kitchen containers (such as old soup cans and cereal boxes), while one in ten (11%) confessed to keeping them in the freezer.
Other weird and wonderful places mentioned include:
- In a commode
- In a sleeping bag
- Among rabbit food
- In a roof downpipe
- In a dirty linen basket
- In a toilet cistern
- In a washing machine drawer
- In a piano
Iain Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Retail Banking at Metro Bank commented: “Never mind under the bed or in a sock drawer or even the commode, we know that our customers’ valuables need to be looked after properly and kept safe. While some people opt for more unusual places, it is worrying how many choose to hide their most cherished possessions in such conspicuous locations.”
When asked about people’s most prized possessions in their home, 16% identified a photo-album, followed by confidential paperwork - such as mortgage deeds/ wills/ marriage certificates - (15%), and children’s memorabilia (10%). When looking at the difference between the sexes, there was a clear divide, with more men caring about confidential paperwork than women (18% vs 12% respectively), while women valued photo albums more than men (22% vs 10%).
Kirkpatrick continued: “At Metro Bank, we care about what’s important to our customers and we’re always looking for ways to make their banking experience as simple and straightforward as possible. That’s why not only do we offer safe deposit boxes in all our stores, but they can be accessed as many times as customers want during store opening hours, seven days a week, from early in the morning to late at night. No appointments are necessary and customers are able to use our viewing rooms to access their box in complete privacy.”
Metro Bank is the only high street bank to offer safe deposit boxes in all of its stores, with customers able to choose from five different sizes of box. The bank has over 75,000 boxes across its network of 48 stores and plans to open up to 10 new stores this year, increasing its boxes by around 30,000. It’s stores are open Monday to Fridays 8am-8pm, Saturdays 8am-6pm and Sundays and bank holidays 11am-5pm.
ENDS
Metro Bank offers customers:
Retail banking:
- 7 day a week store banking (8am-8pm Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday and bank holidays), 362 days of the year
- The ultimate in new account opening convenience, with a rapid opening procedure and on the spot bank cards and cheque books (Account Opening conditions apply. All Metro Bank products are subject to status and approval.)
- All stores offer free coin counting, for customers and non-customers alike, with the Metro Bank Magic Money Machine™, as well as Safe Deposit Boxes of varying sizes for customers to store their valuables.
- A friendly welcome to dogs and their owners, with water bowls and dog biscuits on hand for man’s best friend - dogs rule at Metro Bank!
Business and Commercial banking:
- Metro Bank offers tailored business banking services including a full range of lending and cash management solutions, with customers supported by locally-based relationship, product and credit teams
- A dedicated team of relationship managers provide industry-specific guidance, with sector experts covering healthcare; hospitality and leisure; property; charities and not-for-profit; inwards investment; and financial services
- Forward thinking combined with traditional banking values gives customers a single point of contact to support them with all their banking needs
- Simple and transparent lending means customers have direct access to the bank’s underwriters
Private banking:
- Private by name, personal by nature: Metro Bank Private Banking provides bespoke banking solutions for customers’ personal and commercial interests
Notes to Editors
All research conducted on behalf of Metro Bank by Opinium Research among 2002 UK adults between 25th– 28th April 2017
1 - 47 said their possessions are safest at home* 51,339,000 (UK population)
More information on Metro Bank safe deposit boxes can be found here: https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/safe-deposit-boxes/