A safe is a great asset to the security of your home or business, helping to protect your valuables from theft or fire while still letting you have easy access to them. If you're looking for a quality safe at a good price, secondhand or refurbished safes are worth investigating. There are just a few points you'll need to bear in mind. 

What to look for in a refurbished safe

A completely refurbished and reconditioned safe has been cleaned and restored, as far as possible, to its original condition. The locking mechanism will be lubricated and tested, and all hardware should be working like new. But the process of refurbishment goes far beyond a few superficial touches. If the safe has a key lock, it should be completely replaced, with new keys provided. If it's a combination lock, whether mechanical or digital, the lock should be reset and a new combination supplied. If these steps haven't been taken, the safe could represent a security vulnerability and should be avoided. 

Always get a guarantee

One way to be sure that your refurbished safe is on the level is to see whether the seller offers a warranty. New safes are protected by a manufacturer's warranty, while refurbished safes are obviously outside of warranty. However, if your vendor or locksmith is confident in the quality of their refurbished product, they should offer a comparable warranty on refurbished items. The presence of this warranty is one way to know that you're dealing with a safe that has been thoroughly restored. 

Be prepared to be adaptable

When you're shopping for a new safe, the process is straightforward; you settle on the safe you want and then buy it. Demand for secondhand safes is high, however, and supplies can sometimes be limited. You may not be able to find the specific make and model of safe you want. Instead, come up with a list of the qualities you need in your safe, and contact your vendor or locksmith to find out what they have available. This means that you may have to hold off on deciding on some aspects of your security plan, such as safe installation, until after you know what your new safe will be like. 

If you bear these tips in mind, you should be able to find a quality secondhand safe that will both save you money and keep you just as secure as a new model. To learn more about secondhand safes, contact a company like Askwith Company.