Is there anything more annoying than leaving your house to go somewhere remembering that you forgot something inside, turning around and realising the thing that you forgot with your keys. By this point, the door has closed and you cannot get back in! Locking yourself out of your house is frustrating, and you may have a number for a locksmiths to hand, but without the spare key you could create some substantial delays in recovery access.
Nobody wants to be stuck waiting for a locksmith to come to the rescue, especially if you realise you’re locked out of your home and it’s the middle of the night. With this in mind, we’ve got some tips for you to prevent you from being locked out – before it happens.
- Always have a spare key somewhere safe. Where do you put this in a lockbox on the outside of your property that’s been concealed behind a bush, can you put it under the mat at the front or back garden, or you give it to a neighbour, you need to make sure that you have a spare key stashed somewhere that allows you to grab it if you’ve been locked out. You need to have easy access to the key, but you don’t want anybody else to have access to it. You could also hold a snack at the bottom of your handbag or even in the car. If your car keys are separate from your house keys, this will be an excellent way to make sure that you can get access back to your home again.
- Always check for your keys before you leave the house. You should make it a habit to check for your keys, and if necessary, put a sign on the back of your front door so that you can remember what to bring with you. If you have a hook that you can install on the back of the wooden door or next to it, find your keys there. Make sure that you cannot see the smoke from any windows, however, because you don’t want burglars to see the same thing.
- Replace any keys that are worn out or old. It’s so critical that you take appropriate care of existing locks to get the best level of reliability. This can include lubricating them or asking a locksmith to come and inspect them periodically. If you’ve lived in your home for over a year, you should have a locksmith come out and check that all of the locks are in good working order. This is just smart to stay safe in your home.
- Go for keyless locking. Ultimately you can choose to ditch those keys altogether and make sure that your locks are keyless. This could be a lifesaver for you as a homeowner especially if you don’t have backup used to hang. It’s also helpful if you don’t actually trust anybody on your street to look after a key for you in case of emergency.
