I have a gun safe bolted to the concrete floor of the garage, and the Director of Operations (aka SWMBO) has decided that a wall safe in the bedroom is in order for convenience's sake, said safe to contain her bedside table revolver and jewelry while she's at work. I think a largish "between the studs" safe located behind the door swing of the bedroom is on the immediate horizon. Comments?
I do physical security stuff. Rather than looking at just one issue (securing firearms, jewelry), I'd recommend taking a step back and assessing risk, total resources you wish to commit (does not have to be at one time, but a financial plan is a good idea), and what level of risk mitigation you wish to achieve. Obviously, the comprehensive solution would be walls, moat, armed guards, etc. But that's entirely disproportional to your risk, resources and level of risk mitigation likely desired.
Your risk is somewhat high because of the likely inside threat. Which means you should weigh "security through obscurity" as a less desired strategy (STO is not valid for information security in a lot of cases, it is routine in physical security), because it is possible that they may enter your home in a routine setting. In plain english, you'll need to focus on strategies that don't really matter if someone knows about them or not. But it's not say, Beirut or "next to crackhouse" bad. If the inside threat is caught, your risk will drop dramatically and you can adjust accordingly.
Re resource allocation, come up with a number for this entire project you can live with. It can be time dependent (ie, $100 every other week, $5000 total ceiling, whatever). Keep track of how much you spend. Too much on one area of physical security removes resources from other areas, and the key to physical security is defense in depth.
And finally, we get to the fun part, risk mitigation. Focusing on one aspect (a couple safes) is not an optimum strategy. Let's be honest, you won't put all of your important assets in the safe, and you'll on occasion forget to return assets to the safe. You want a layered approach. Doesn't have to be a one shot deal, continuous improvement is often the best course because of cash flow. Take a look around your property and note the layout and vulnerabilities. Windows with concealment aiding plants beneath it? Flimsy doors? Flimsy locks? Flimsy door jamb? Are your door hinges exposed? Are you using standard removable pins in your hinges, or are you using security hinges? Are the interior of your locks within arms reach of a glass exterior surface? What do you think about putting a deadbolt on your bedroom door? If you have a garage, is there a deadbolt on the door between the house and garage? Do you have sliding glass doors? Are your windows have pins? Have you considered or quoted having a security film installed on any exterior glass surfaces?
(For the love of the Gods, do NOT post a comprehensive answer to the above questions here on a public web forum that is world readable.)
Monitoring alarm services are great for two purposes. Discount on your home insurance, and giving you (or others) the feeling of security. They add minimal actual security. They get tripped off all the time by accident, and have very minimal priority response. You'd have roughly 80% of the security enhancement of a comprehensive alarm system by putting up signs/stickers and a box within eye sight of the doors with blinky lights. But if you believe that the monthly fees are worth the feeling of security, by all means, go with it. You will gain a small measure of actual security by doing so. But, far less than advertised or innately believed.
Again, I'd recommend taking a comprehensive risk mitigation consideration over looking for a "magic bullet" fix. Yes, safes are a good idea. But they are not the only idea.
