When it comes to being locked out of your own home, prevention can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and an all-out crisis. It’s never fun to deal with locking yourself out of your home – but if you’re prepared, you’ll be able to make the best of it. If you are not prepared, trouble may follow when trying to gain entrance back into your house.
Being locked out of your own home is a difficult situation to be in, especially if you have a baby or children inside. Thankfully, there are steps that any homeowner can take to help prevent being locked out, and what you should do if it does happen!
Here are some tips on how to prevent being locked out of your own home
1. Always keep your keys close and try to avoid misplacing them. If you do, double-check all of your pockets and purses before calling a locksmith!
2. Store an extra key in a safe place outside of your home such as under the front door mat or under a plant pot on the porch. This is a good idea as you will avoid the locksmith’s cost of having to drill a lock or key replacement.
3. Try to store an extra key in multiple locations outside of your home, such as on your car, near your mailbox, and under flower pots on your porch/in your backyard. This way if one location is inaccessible due to weather, for example, you have multiple key holding spots.
4. At home, store an extra front door key somewhere in your bedroom if possible so that you can enter the house through the garage. This way even if you are locked out of your main front door with nobody home to let you in through a window or secondary exterior door, you can still get in through the garage.
5. Program a backup key to your car and keep it on you at all times! This way if you ever lose one of your house keys, you will have a copy that will work for both your home and car.
6. Keep a small spare key holder in your wallet or purse so that you can carry another key with you.
7. Change the locks on your home if you have recently moved in or added a new person to your family – perhaps a child, new roommate, pet, etc.
8. Try not to get locked out of your home! If this does happen and you cannot find an exterior hiding spot for a key, call a locksmith and avoid damage to your front door lock!
9. Get back in when it counts – when you have children or pets inside, call a locksmith when it matters most – when they’re stuck inside of the home!
10. Have fun and be creative with your hiding places, but also try to stay practical. For example, you can store a key under one of the flower pots on your porch or even in an abandoned animal cracker jar attached to your mailbox. Situations like this are perfect because they are hidden from plain sight and are out of the elements.
11. When calling a locksmith to unlock your front door, avoid any unnecessary damage by trying to open it yourself first if you can! For example, many standard doors have a small length between the frame and door handle that you can use as a tool to open the lock without damaging it.
12. Only ever use a locksmith to unlock your door if you have completely lost access to your keys and are unable to open the lock yourself.
13. When calling a locksmith, try to call one that has employees in your area so that they can get there quickly rather than having someone drive from outside of the city/town.
14. When calling a locksmith, always provide them with as much information about your specific situation and lock type so that they can assess the price accurately before coming over to unlock your door. This will avoid any unexpected costs from being added for additional time or tasks performed by the locksmith.
15. Clean out your mailbox periodically as this is a popular place to store extra house keys. If you do not need anything in your mailbox, check it frequently and remove any spare keys that the mailman may have placed inside!
Locked Out of Your Own Home FAQs
What to do if you lock yourself out of your house?
If you lock yourself out of your house – do not panic! There are ways to get back inside without having to call a locksmith.
Step 1: Check for spare keys near doors or windows in the home that could have been accidentally left unlocked.
Step 2: Search the exterior area of your house, yard, and driveway for hidden keys. For example, try under-table umbrellas and potted plants.
Step 3: Check inside your car for another set of house keys or spare keys! If you recently moved into a new home with garage access, the spare key may even be in your car’s glove box!
Step 4: Reach out to family members and neighbors that may have a key or know of another way to get in the house.
Step 5: Search your house and property for tools that may be able to help you gain access without breaking anything like a window, prying open a sliding glass door, drilling through a lock with a screwdriver, etc. If there is an exterior spare key storage location, chances are it was placed there by a locksmith or builder!
Step 6: If none of the previous steps work, call a locksmith. They will be able to open your door without causing unnecessary damage that may cost additional money or time to fix.
What can happen if you break into your own house?
If you break into your own house, the lock and/or door will often times be damaged beyond repair and need to be replaced.
This could result in a high cost depending on what was broken and how much time it takes to replace the faulty locks.
How to unlock a front door?
If you are locked out of your front door, try to break in through a window or sliding glass door. This will avoid causing damage to the lock on the front door that could be expensive to fix later. If you are physically unable to unlock the door yourself, call a locksmith for help!
What tools can I use if my keys are locked in the car?
First, call a tow truck to get your vehicle to an area where you can use simple tools like a screwdriver or coat hanger to unlock it. If this is not possible, try using the tow truck’s winch is equipped with one.
If none of these options work, contact a locksmith for help getting back in your car.
What should I do before calling a locksmith?
Before calling a locksmith service in Houston, be prepared with the following information:
- A description of your situation and what you need to be done
- The make, model, and age of your door locks
- How many locks are on the exterior of the door
- What is included in your lock or key system (i.e. deadbolt)
- If there are any additional features to the locks: keyless entry, anti-theft locking systems, etc.
- A rough estimate of how long the job will take and whether or not you have a time frame that works best for you
- Your name and phone number
If you have any questions about what kinds of tools a locksmith uses, be sure to ask beforehand so that your locksmith can prepare before arriving.
It is also helpful to note what types of materials the locksmith uses when making locks, as this will help you to estimate costs. For example, brass is cheaper than nickel or tungsten carbide.
If you are uncomfortable sharing personal information with a stranger, you should mention that before giving any keys over just in case they try to keep them.
Please note: It is possible to estimate costs over the phone, but it is always best to ask about any additional charges before committing to a locksmith and making an appointment.
It is important that you know what types of costs are involved before your locksmith arrives!
What happens if you call the wrong locksmith?
When calling someone to unlock your front door, you may think it does not matter who comes as long as they can get the job done. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
If the wrong locksmith is called out to unlock a simple deadbolt because of a miscommunication about what make and model lock needs to be opened, then there could be unnecessary damage that could cost more than if you had called the right person in the beginning.
What happens if you use your house keys to get inside?
Using your house key to unlock your front door can result in unnecessary damage, ranging from extended repair times due to difficulty finding the correct replacement parts (if they are even available) all the way up to damage to the locks that leave them irreparable.
If you are locked out of your own house, do not use your house keys to get back inside!
How do you prevent lockouts?
Prevention is always the best cure when it comes to security.
The most effective thing you can do to prevent being locked out of your own house is to keep a single key hidden somewhere outside your home that will be accessible 24/7 in case of an emergency.
Keep this key in a place that multiple family members or friends have access to it.
What is the best way to keep track of your keys?
The best way to keep track of your keys is by not allowing yourself to get locked out in the first place!
Be aware of where each and every key on your keyring is at all times and make sure you do not lend any keys out to prevent losing them and getting locked out.
If you find yourself with a missing key, immediately replace it and do not risk getting locked out of your own house!
There are many instances where we encounter situations that seem unforeseeable at the time they occur. A dead car battery, an overworked mental capacity to remember everything, or simply forgetting where you placed the spare key are all examples of this.
Regardless of what has happened, it is important to have a plan ahead of time in case you do find yourself locked out of your own home.
How do you unlock a house door without a key?
There are several methods for unlocking a house door without using the key.
These methods include:
Using a paper clip or bobby pin, lock picking tools, removing staples from the door frame (or using them to lock pick), knocking out the pins holding the door handle in place with a screwdriver, removing screws near the top of the door frame to unlock the lock from the top, sliding a credit card into the space between the floor and bottom of the door frame to push up or move back interior locks to unlock, or using a drill bit.
Most of these methods are effective for simple locking mechanisms that do not have any anti-theft features. If you are trying to unlock a complex lock or door that has an alarm, it is important to contact a professional. The proper tools are required for this type of work and could endanger you if not used correctly.
Can a locksmith help to protect my home against lock picking?
Yes. A professional locksmith can install special locks that are much harder to pick by an intruder or criminal with the use of tools that are common in burglary scenarios.
Criminals often target homes where they can successfully break in with little to no resistance.
If you are worried about the security of your home, then contact a professional locksmith for assistance.
Locks can be rekeyed in order to match the current keys that you have in possession, or they can be locked up so that they cannot be opened at all unless by someone with certain tools and specific keys.
How much does a locksmith cost to unlock a house door?
The cost will depend on a few factors, including what type of lock needs to be unlocked and how many locksmiths need to come for service. In general, the key retrieval fee is normally an hourly rate starting from $40-$80 per hour depending on the location and skill level of the locksmith.
More complex jobs may require technicians who are more skilled, so they may cost a bit more. If it is necessary to drill the lock open or replace parts of the locking mechanism with new ones, there will be extra fees in addition to the initial retrieval service cost. Replacing damaged pieces after being unlocked by force can result in additional costs that must be paid in order to get the lock working again.
Have you ever been locked out of your own home?
It’s a terrible feeling, especially when you have no idea how to get back in.
Fortunately, there are some easy ways to prevent this from happening. You can always keep an extra key hidden somewhere outside your house or apartment for emergencies like these.
If that isn’t possible, then make sure the locks on your doors are secure and up-to-date. Finally, be aware of who has access to your keys so they don’t fall into the wrong hands!
Our Houston locksmith is here 24/7 with fast service and affordable rates so you never have to worry about being locked out again! We also offer free estimates on new lock installations so call now for more information!
Client Testimonial
“After our home was broken into, 713 Locksmith Houston was on-site within a few minutes to change our locks.” – Scott Turner (Homeowner)
