It’s a terrible feeling to be locked out of your own home. You may have been in the process of getting ready to leave work and realise that you don’t have access to your house key, or you arrive home and find that your key has snapped in the door. The frustration can set in as soon as you see yourself standing outside without any way to get back inside or find a solution.
It’s never fun being stuck outside with no way to get into your house, especially if it is cold and in the depths of winter, but there are some things you can do about it!
The blog post follows up with solutions on how best to handle being locked out of your home so that it doesn’t happen again. Our Master Locksmith Association approved locksmiths at Assist Locks can help you get back into your commercial or domestic property.
Please keep reading to find out more or book an appointment online; our team are always more than happy to help in any way we can.
Check You Haven't Left A Window Or Door Open
Not the safest thing to do, but many people leave windows ajar around the back or patio doors unlocked; we recommend double-checking if you have done this. If you have found yourself stuck outside your home without a key or a broken key in the door, there is no harm in checking. You might find a way which would save you some money.
This is the easiest option for when the key has snapped in the door; other than that, if you are just locked out, you could contact a family member with a spare key, but if there is an open window or door on the ground floor you can get in your home whilst you wait, removing the need to stand outside in the cold.
We would always recommend if you do choose to go down this route rather than speaking to a professional locksmith, we would advise you to have another person with you and be extremely careful.
Give Your Landlord A Ring
The best option if you rent your property is to contact the landlord; it is more than likely they either have a spare key or a master key that can help you into your property; this will only work if you have misplaced or left your key somewhere, not if the key has snapped in the door. All you will need to do is give them a call.
Explain your situation, and they might drop by straight away to let you in; once you have gained access to your home, we recommend getting a hold of the keys or a spare set from the landlord and getting spares cut should this happen in the future. It is a good idea always to keep a spare in the back of your purse or regularly used bag, so you have one for emergency uses.
Landlords have a duty of care, this includes if you have been locked out through no fault of your own. Make sure you double-check when you take out any rental agreement that locksmith services are included in cases of emergencies.
Choose A Local Locksmith
If you are confident you need a locksmith, the only suggestion we can give you is always to make sure you use a local locksmith; it will be much cheaper than using a large scale company that may charge you more. Using an experienced locksmith gives you the chance to have a high-quality service at a friendly price.
If you are looking for local locksmith services, be sure to get in touch with Assist Locks, our locksmith can come and help you regain access to your property or home in no time. We understand how frustrating it can be to be locked out of your home, so let us come and help you.
Try Removing The Doorknob
If you find yourself out of options for what to do, you may be able to get the doorknob off, this might seem drastic, but it may gain you access to your home.
If you are careful and remove the doorknob without causing any exterior damage to the door, you may be able to gain access to your property.
In this instance, we would only recommend doing this if you are one hundred per cent stuck and needed to get inside; it isn’t ideal and should only be used as a last resort.
We recommend you try everything else first. This really should be a last option resort, and we recommend if you do choose to go down this route, you are incredibly careful and use the right tools.
Prevention Is The Best Plan
Prevention is a much better way to handle situations like being locked out of your home rather than being left wholly stuck; the best way to do this is by having a spare emergency key.
If you hide a key around your property, this will help you when you get stuck, and you need to hide a key in a very hidden place, don’t just put a key under the mat; this is the first place thieves will look.
You can buy unique key safes from your local locksmith or specifically designed essential hides that can be placed around your property. It is not the best situation, but having a spare key is essential to help you in sticky moments.
Another great option is to give your neighbour a key for emergencies if you trust them enough. Make sure they are respectable and trustworthy before giving your neighbours a key, just to be careful.
Contact Assist Locks Today
The locksmith professionals at Assist Locks are available to help you out in any situation. Whether it’s a lost or stolen key, an emergency lockout, or just some general advice on how to keep your home secure, we’re here for you when you need us most.
If this is the first time something has happened and you have no idea what to do next, don’t worry! We can walk through all of the steps with you over the phone until everything is back in order again. To get started, give our team a call today to take care of everything from there! Our locksmiths can come to your property and get you back inside in no time; choosing a professional locksmith service is the best option, so choose us. Get in touch with us today.
Book online here.