Frequently Asked Questions

A safe is the last physical line of defence when all other security measures have failed. CCTV and alarms are detection devices — they identify a break-in but do nothing to prevent theft. A high-security safe delays and deters intruders long enough for an effective response.

People use safes to protect a wide range of valuables including:

• Cash and financial documents
• Jewellery, watches, and precious metals
• Important documents and passports
• Hard drives, USB drives, and crypto hardware wallets
• Luxury goods and collectibles
• Items of sentimental value that cannot be replaced

Insurers recognise safes as a primary last-resort defence for valuables, and many policies require one for high-value cover.

We are UK specialists in reconditioned safes with decades of experience in the safe and vault industry and are trusted by major UK banks, high street chains, and UK government bodies. We hold the largest stock of reconditioned safes in the UK, with our own professional engineers carrying out the reconditioning and dedicated in-house installation teams completing every job.

Everything is handled in-house — reconditioning, installation, logistics — which means complete discretion and no reliance on third parties. We follow British Standards to the letter, giving both you and your insurer full confidence in your safe.

Yes. All our safes are fully reconditioned in accordance with BS 7582:2021 — the current British Standard for the reconditioning of security enclosures. Each safe retains its original EN 1143-1 tested security grade and is issued with a reconditioning certificate and warranty upon completion.

In fact, many of the British banking safes we specialise in — manufactured in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s — were built to exceptionally high standards that are rarely matched by modern equivalents. Properly overhauled, they are returned essentially to original factory specification. The Association of Insurance Surveyors recognises and endorses properly reconditioned safes certified to BS 7582.

Many of our safes are available immediately from stock, having already been fully reconditioned and certified. If you require a specific model, grade, or configuration, lead times for custom reconditioning are confirmed at the time of enquiry and vary depending on the scope of work and current workload.

Contact us to check current availability — we aim to meet your timeline wherever possible.

Yes. We offer trade pricing, bulk order rates, and special pricing for full container shipments. If you are a distributor, reseller, or security company looking to purchase in volume, please contact us directly to discuss your requirements.

Yes — provided it has been reconditioned to the correct standard. All our safes reconditioned to BS 7582:2021 are listed on the Association of Insurance Surveyors’ Official Safe List, which means they are given full rating recognition by UK insurers. In practice, insurers care about the safe’s tested security grade, not its age.

Always confirm your specific requirements with your insurer before purchase — some policies specify particular grades, lock types, or anchoring methods.

A cash rating is the maximum value of cash that an insurance underwriter will cover when it is stored in a safe of a given security grade. The higher the cash rating, the higher the level of burglary resistance.

As a general rule, jewellery and valuables ratings are 10 times the cash rating — so a safe with a £35,000 cash rating typically carries a £350,000 jewellery rating.

Exact limits can vary between insurers and individual policies. Always verify the required rating with your insurer before purchasing.

EN 1143-1 is the European standard for burglary-resistant security safes. Safes independently tested and certified to this standard are commonly referred to as “Eurograde” safes. The standard has been in place since the late 1990s and is the primary benchmark used by insurers, businesses, and security professionals across the UK and Europe.

There are 14 grades in total (Grade 0 to Grade 13). At Total Safes, our reconditioned range spans Grade 0 through Grade 7 — covering light commercial requirements through to the most demanding institutional and banking applications:

A jewellery rating is the maximum value of jewellery, watches, precious metals, or similar high-value items that an insurer will cover when stored in a safe of a given grade. It is typically 10 times the cash rating, reflecting the higher value density of jewellery compared to banknotes.

For example: a Grade 5 safe has a £100,000 cash rating and a £1,000,000 jewellery rating.

Yes. Every reconditioned safe we sell includes a standard 12-month warranty covering mechanical and reconditioning items. Extended warranty options are available — please ask at the time of enquiry.

We recommend working through the following considerations in order:

• What are you storing? Identify the total value and type — cash, jewellery, documents, media, or a mix.
• What grade do you need? Check with your insurer whether a specific Eurograde or cash rating is required for your policy.
• Do you need fire protection? If storing documents, hard drives, or digital media, consider a fire-rated model.
• What size do you need? Choose one size larger than your current requirement — you will almost always need the extra space.
• Where will it be installed? Floor-standing, wall-mounted, or built-in? Access and location affect the model recommended.
• Who needs access and how? This determines the right lock type (see below).

If you are unsure, call us. Our team has decades of experience and will guide you to the right safe from our current stock.

Key lock — The most cost-effective option. Proven and reliable, but safe keys are often large and must be stored securely. Not ideal if you need convenient, frequent access.

Electronic PIN lock — The most popular choice for both homes and businesses. Easy to use, simple to change, and can support multiple user codes. Look for a quality lock — cheap electronic locks can be vulnerable.

Mechanical combination lock — Highly reliable with no batteries required. Favoured in banking and high-security environments. Slower to operate than electronic but extremely dependable.

Biometric lock — Fingerprint access. Convenient and modern, but more expensive and with a more limited selection. Best suited where quick personal access is a priority.

Dual lock — A combination of two lock types (e.g. mechanical dial plus electronic). Used in high-security banking applications for maximum assurance.

Yes. We supply safes with fire-rated liners where required. If you need combined burglary and fire protection, please tell us at the time of enquiry and we will recommend compliant models from our current stock.

Fire-rated and burglary-rated safes are different products with different constructions. A high-security burglary-rated safe is not automatically fire-rated, and vice versa. Always specify if both are required.

British-manufactured safes in our range were produced to imperial measurements. European-manufactured safes are sized in metric. Common internal sizes from our British range include — contact us to confirm dimensions on European models:

• H14″ × W14″
• H18″ × W12″
• H23″ × W16″
• H29″ × W16″
• H34″ × W20″
• H40″ × W20″
• H46″ × W20″
• H50″ × W20″
• H55″ × W20″
• H60″ × W20″

Stock varies. Please contact us to confirm which sizes and grades are currently available.

We deliver and install throughout the whole of the UK and Ireland from our depots in Glasgow, Manchester, Bradford, Telford, and Thurrock. We also ship internationally — please see our Worldwide Shipping page for details.

Yes. We have walk-in showrooms with a substantial stock of reconditioned safes on display in central Manchester and Bradford — no appointment needed.

You can also arrange a visit to our depots in Telford, Thurrock, or Glasgow by appointment. Please call ahead to confirm availability and arrange a time.

Yes. We have our own in-house team of specialist safe installers and a dedicated fleet of specialist vehicles. Our teams are trained safe engineers — not general delivery drivers — and handle every installation to the correct specification, including correct bolting and anchoring.

Yes. We have Hiab cranes and specialist equipment to handle installations in the most challenging locations — basements, upper floors, narrow stairwells, confined commercial premises, and difficult external access points. A site survey is carried out prior to quoting for complex installations.

If you are concerned about access, speak to our team — we have almost certainly dealt with something more demanding before.

You are welcome to collect and self-install. However, please be aware that even a modest reconditioned safe can weigh over 100kg, and a fully reconditioned high-grade banking safe may weigh 500–1,000kg or more. Without the right equipment and experience, moving a safe of this size presents a serious risk of injury or structural damage.

We strongly recommend using our professional installation service for anything larger than a small cabinet safe. If you do choose to self-install, please ensure you have appropriate equipment, structural fixing points, and the correct anchoring in place.

Yes. We offer a professional safe removal and relocation service. Whether you need an unwanted safe removed and disposed of responsibly, or an existing safe relocated to new premises, our team can manage it. Please contact us for a quotation.