Imagine walking up to your front drive after a gruelling day of work. You are positively salivating over the idea of getting inside, kicking off your shoes, and enjoying the quiet of your sanctuary. As you juggle bags and briefcases, you begin searching your purse or patting your pockets only to realise that, to your horror, you’ve locked yourself out of the house.
What’s the first thing you should do?
Though the situation can be disorienting, it’s important to keep a calm head and move through the following steps to get you home where you belong.
Check Other Doors and Windows
Make your way around your property checking every door and window to see if they are locked…even if you are certain they are properly secured. There is always a chance that one was left unlatched by mistake…or that a family member came along and unlocked a door or window after you secured it.
A word of advice—keep an eye out for vigilant neighbours who may see you roaming about the property, trying windows and doors, and decide to call the police. You may need to offer an explanation to avoid an awkward encounter with authorities.
If you find that there are no doors or windows unlocked, do not…and I repeat, do not…make the problem worse by breaking a window or attempting to kick in a door in order to gain access to your home. At best, these options are expensive—both windows and doors are costly to replace, especially doors as you can also destroy the frame along with the door itself. At worst, breaking in can leave you seriously injured (you wouldn’t believe the number of cuts, abrasions, wrenched backs and pulled hamstrings that occur while trying to bust through windows and doors).
Call Your Partner/Spouse/Relative/Neighbor Who Has a Spare Key
Odds are, there is someone with whom you’ve trusted a spare key to your home. The problem is, those keyholders aren’t always available when you need to get into your home. If you live in an apartment complex or rental, consider calling your landlord or rental office as they will likely have a spare key.
Go through your list of spare key holders contacting each to see if they are available to let you into your home.
Don’t Forget About the Doggie Door
It may sound absurd, but many a homeowner has taken advantage of an unsecured dog door during a lock-out emergency, especially if you have a dog of large size. If yours is a more standard doggie door, you may need to enlist the squeezing skills of your own child or your neighbour’s kid (with neighbour approval and supervision, of course).
Keep in mind they don’t have to fit completely through the dog door—they only need to be able to reach the lock on the inside of the door.
Call an Emergency Locksmith
If you cannot find a safe way to enter your home, it’s time to call in the experts. The trick here is to know who you are going to call before you’re ever locked out of your home. Ask friends and family members for referrals to legitimate locksmiths. Unfortunately, the internet is rife with ne’er-do-well locksmiths who prey on a person’s desperation to get into their home with claims of bargain-basement prices.
Find a locksmith you trust and enter their number as a contact in your phone. When the time comes and you find yourself in need of a reputable locksmith, you’ll have the phone number handy and can rest easy knowing a professional will have your lock opened in minutes and you’ll be safe inside your home.